As Seen In A Dream
by Erica Evans
Summary: [[Epilogue up! 23]] Sequel to "Secrets that Were Kept," Follow Reagan Potter and her friends in their fourth year at Hogwarts. Quidditch matches, an extravagent DADA teacher, creepy dreams and tradegy waiting to happen.
1. Chapter 1: Morning Post

  
  


_**As Seen In A Dream  
**_ By: Erica Evans  
  


  
  
  
  
  
_Disclaimer: Basically if you don't recognize it, I own it. And if you do recognize it, then it belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
  
A/N: Yeah, the sequel I've been waiting to post!! I loved "Secrets," but Im quite excited for this one! For those of you who are new, this is the sequel to "Secrets that Were Kept." You might want to read that one first, just so everything makes sense in this one. _   
  
  
  
** Chapter One: Morning Post**  
  
  
  
  
  
Fourteen year old Reagan Potter jumped when two owls landed on the kitchen table. Her father didn't look up from the paper he was reading but pointed at the owls. She sighed and gave them each owl treats and they were on their way.   
  
Two of the letters were from Hogwarts, for her and her brother, Darenn.   
  
"Darenn!" Reagan cried. "Hogwarts letters!"   
  
"Reagan!" her mother hissed at her. "You don't need to yell for him, go and _get_ him."   
  
Reagan smirked at her mother and looked back at her letter. She smiled at the purple ink, noting how her Uncle Remus never used the same color twice. Last year he had used gold and the year before that a deep blue.   
  
Reagan read through her letter but there was nothing out of the ordinary. She looked at the table and picked up the letter the other owl had been carrying. Reagan smiled as she recognized her best friend's neat and controlled handwriting.   
  
_ Reagan,  
So, Father said that he would "allow" me to stay with you for the last week. Yeah! I think he wanted to get rid of me though, you know how he is. He says to tell you dad that he "expects the utmost care and safety and to be treated with the respect that I deserve." Whatever that means. Anyway, he said that he could meet in Diagon Alley on Thursday. Yeah!! I am so excited. He's never let me come before! I am so ready to get out of here. Mathias has been strutting around like he's a god or something, like it bothers me that he's a Slytherin Prefect. Urgh! Write me back as soon as possible!!  
Love ya!  
Josie  
  
  
_ Reagan smiled as she finished her letter.   
  
"So Josian's father said yes?" her father asked. Reagan nodded and looked at him. He was still intently reading the paper, his morning hair causing his normally untidy hair to stick up at even odder angles. Reagan thanked Merlin for the millionth time that she had only gotten her father's hair color, not it's unruliness.   
  
"Thursday will actually work well," he continued. "We can get your supplies and books then."   
  
"I need new robes too," Reagan said. "And here's my permission slip for Hogsmead." She pushed the parchment over to her father. He glanced up and she handed him a quill.   
  
"Good morning!" Darenn announced walking into the kitchen. "Oh, the Hogwarts letters arrived." He picked his up and Reagan noticed it was bulkier than last year's. After he opened it she realized why. From the expression on his face, she could tell that her older brother had been made Gryffindor Prefect.   
  
"Brandon Allen got his Prefect's badge taken away last year," Darenn explained, as he read through his letter. "So I got chosen to be the new Gryffindor Prefect."   
  
"Congratulations Darenn," Reagan said as her father pushed the permission slip back to her.   
  
Darenn smiled at her. "Thanks Reagan."   
  
"That's wonderful!" her mother cried and hugged her son. Her father glanced at her mum and snickered.   
  
"And what, Harry, is so funny?" her mum asked.   
  
"Nothing," he replied.   
  
"I'm not buying it, Potter," she responded.   
  
"Ginny, love, do you know who you sounded like just now?" her father asked.   
  
"Oh, _do_ tell," her mum replied. Her dad shook his head and looked back at his paper grinning madly.   
  
"You looked like Grandmum," Reagan answered for her father.   
  
"Harry Potter!" her mum cried and playfully smacked his arm.   
  
"Ow!" he cried, faking his pain. "I didn't say it!"   
  
"But you thought it and Reagan saying it is just like you saying it!" her mum retorted. "I do not sound like my Mum."   
  
"Mum, Josie's father said she could visit," Reagan changed the subject.   
  
"Its about time, too," Ginny replied. "Its too bad he never let her come before."   
  
"Well you know how he is," Harry commented.   
  
"When will she be arriving?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Thursday," Harry and Reagan replied at the same time. Ginny rolled her eyes.   
  
"Sorry," Reagan and Harry said in unison again. Reagan huffed and threw her hands in the air.   
  
"Really, it..." the said in unison and stopped. "You go...no you go..."   
  
"Honestly!" Ginny cried, causing her husband and daughter to look at her. "Harry, you talk first."   
  
"I was going to say, Reagan, that its nothing to be sorry about."   
  
"I know, Dad, but it gets to me sometimes," Reagan replied.   
  
"I know," he answered.   
  
"Okay,_ Reagan,_ how is Josian getting here?" her mother asked.   
  
"Oh, we're meeting her and her father in Diagon Alley on Thursday," she replied. "Dad said I could get my books and robes and supplies then too."   
  
"That does work nicely," Ginny said. "Darenn, you should go along as well, you need a few things too, don't you?"   
  
"Yeah, I do," Darenn replied. "Did you say Josie was coming?"   
  
"Yes, on _Thursday,_" Reagan answered, as she stood up. Had he not heard the conversation?   
  
She went upstairs to respond to Josie's letter. Reagan was thrilled that she was coming. She had invited her every summer since their first year to come and visit during the summer. Her brothers always had friends over. Reagan enjoyed her brother's friends but had always wanted a friend of her own to come over.   
  
Reagan had two very best friends in the world. Calhoun Morris was never allowed to visit because, even though he was pureblooded, he lived with his Muggle great aunt who was a cranky old lady. Cal's parents were killed when he was four and he was sent to live with his grandmum's muggle sister, his Aunt Marry. When Cal found out he was a wizard, she wouldn't even take him to Diagon Alley for his supplies. Reagan's Uncle Remus had to come and take him. Her Uncle was the Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts, as well as Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House. Cal and Reagan had met when she knocked him over on the Hogwarts Express on their was to school their First year.   
  
The other friend was Josian. Reagan had met Josie after the sorting ceremony. The other girls in their year had been a bit standoffish towards Josie, but Reagan knew not to judge a person by their family name. She didn't like being judged because she was a Potter, why should she do it to someone else? Normally, it wouldn't have been such an odd thing, many siblings got sorted into different houses. Josie's older brothers, Sabin and Mathias were both in Slytherin, as had her entire blood line. Reagan shuddered to think how Josian's father had reacted when he found out that his daughter was the first Gryffindor in their blood line. Reagan smiled, remembering her own Sorting ceremony as she stroked her cat absent mindedly. The entire school was in shock; it wasn't every day you hear the sorting hat yell "Gryffindor!" when it sat upon a Malfoy's head....   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
"Malfoy, Josian!" Professor Lupin announced. A blond girl stepped forward and took her seat on the stool. Reagan thought she saw fear in the girls eyes as the Sorting hat fell over her brow.   
  
Silence.   
  
The sorting hat didn't saw a word. It sat upon her head for a good four minutes.   
  
"Did he say Malfoy?" someone asked behind her.   
  
"Shh!"   
  
"Yeah, she's a Malfoy," another person replied.   
  
"What's taking so long? How hard could it be?" the girl whispered.   
  
"I don't know," another replied.   
  
"Ssshhh!!"   
  
Reagan suppressed a giggle and was sure she heard the girl say, "Honestly!"   
  
"Gryffindor!" the sorting hat cried. The entire Great Hall gasped. Professor Lupin took the hat off of the young girlÕs head. Josian looked terrified. She glanced at the Slytherin table on her way to the Gryffindor table and Reagan saw her eyes tear up.   
  
"What?!" the girl behind Reagan hissed.   
  
"But she's a Malfoy!" the other whispered.   
  
"Brielyn Meadow!" A blond girl with pigtails stepped forward.   
  
"I feel sorry for the Gyrffindors!" the first girl whispered. Reagan was beginning to get annoyed.   
  
"Speaking of Gryffindor, did you hear? Reagan Potter is here!"   
  
"She is! Where?" Reagan could feel the girl move behind her.   
  
"Calhoun Morris!"   
  
"Honestly!" Reagan hissed, turning towards them. The two girls' eyes enlarged at the sight of Reagan. She glared at them before turning back around.   
  
"Gryffindor!" the sorting hat yelled. Reagan smiled as Cal went bounding past and she flashed her a bright smile. Reagan could tell he was proud of himself.   
  
"Grace Nysell!"   
  
One of the blond girls stepped forward from behind Reagan and took her turn with the Sorting hat.   
  
"Hufflepuff!" Grace jumped down and went over to the Hufflepuff table.   
  
Moland Obson became a Slytherin, Parker Osborne went to Ravenclaw, Stacie Perrot went to Slytherin and after Lewis Plimmswood became a Hufflepuff, it was Reagan's turn.   
  
"Reagan Potter!" Professor Lupin said. A faint murmur could be heard throughout the Great Hall as Reagan stepped forward to the stool. She saw her brother, James, give her two thumbs up before the Sorting hat was yanked over her eyes.   
  
"Humm," she heard it say. "Another Potter. You have a lot of your father in you, surprisingly a lot. Hum, but also a bit of your mother in you too. Well, that is certain isn't it."   
  
"What is certain?" Reagan thought.   
  
"Well, if both your parents were in Gryffindor, then shouldn't you go too?"   
  
"Erm, I guess so," Reagan stammered.   
  
"You guess so? Well aren't you positive?" the sorting hat questioned.   
  
"I am sure. I want to be a Gryffindor," Reagan thought sternly. "Its what I want because its who I am."   
  
"Well then, made up your mind have we?All right then, GRYFFINDOR!!"   
  
Reagan beamed as she stepped down the stairs. She took a seat between Cal and James.   
  
"Way to go!" James whispered at her and gave her a hug.   
  
"Jaaames!" Reagan wined. He let go and ruffled her hair. Tarent Silverster became a Hufflepuff and Damien Stone went to Slytherin. When the list go to the "W's" Caitlin and Ethan both became Gryffindor. Reagan smiled at her cousins as Professor Lupin put the parchment away. Headmistress McGonagall made a few announcements and then their plates filled with food.   
  
"Hi," Reagan said to Josian. The blond girl looked terribly frightened and glanced up at Reagan.   
  
"Hi," she said softly.   
  
"I'm Reagan," she said. "Reagan Potter."   
  
Josian looked at her apprehensively.   
  
"Potter?" she asked, and Reagan thought she noticed the infamous Malfoy sneer.   
  
"Yup, Potter," Reagan replied. "This is my brother James, and my brother Darenn is down there, see?" Reagan pointed towards her brother a down the table.   
  
"I'm Josian," she said. "My brothers are, urm..."   
  
"In Slytherin?" Reagan offered and Josian nodded.   
  
"I'm Josian Malfoy," Josian answered. Reagan leaned forward towards Josian.   
  
"Hey, I won't tell anyone if you don't!" Reagan whispered.   
  
Josian laughed. "Call me Josie."   
  
"Call me Reagan."   
  
"And call me Cal!" Cal interjected. Reagan and Josie both laughed and continued to enjoy their fist dinner at Hogwarts.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
Reagan and Josie had become instant friends forming a tight nit trio with Cal. Reagan smiled at the thought of going back to school and being with her friends. Her oldest brother, James, had already left Hogwarts and was an Auror, like her father. Her brother, Darenn was going to be a sixth year and Reagan would be entering her fourth year at Hogwarts.   
  
Reagan wasn't surprised that Darenn had gotten Gryffindor Prefect. Brandon Allen had not been exactly the ideal Prefect. Reagan remembered that he had horribly abused his power. Basically any Slytherin that crossed his path got points taken away. The last straw was when Gryffindor had beaten Slytherin 250-30 during the Quidditch Quidditch cup last year. He had been so excited he had snuck into the Slytherin bathroom and charmed all the shampoo. The next day every Slytherin's hair was red and gold with sparkles added for the effect.   
  
Reagan was actually surprised that Darenn hadn't gotten Prefect in the first place. Last year he had just shrugged it off, saying that he would have enough on his plate being Quidditch Captain, though Reagan could see he was secretly disappointed. James had been Prefect and Captain, and was Head Boy in his seventh year. Darenn got pretty good grades and was really responsible, or at least he didn't get caught when he pulled pranks. Reagan smiled at the memory of walking into Transfiguration and seeing the entire room upside down. The desks clung to the ceiling and Reagan laughed to herself, knowing immediately that it was Darenn's handiwork. He reminded her of her Uncle George. She had heard so many stories about him and his twin brother while they were at Hogwarts, and Darenn made them proud.   
  
Darenn was also a Beater of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and was Captain. There was a seventh year above him, but he had joined the team in his fourth year. James, Darenn and Reagan, having all followed the Potter tradition thier father started, joined the team in their first years. Reagan was a Chaser on the team. Josian joined the team last year, taking the place of Seeker to take James' place after the left Hogwarts. This year was going to be an interesting Quidditch season, mainly because both Mathias and Josian Malfoy would be playing Seeker for their House teams. Mathias was joining this year, after playing reserve for two years.   
  
Reagan jumped at the sound of a knock on her door. Her cat, Eclipse, bounced off her lap and Reagan looked down at the blank parchment, wondering how long she had been thinking.   
  
"Half hour, Reagan," her father answered her question from the other side of the door.   
  
"Dad, you have to stop doing that," she sighed and opened the door.   
  
"Well you, my darling daughter, need to shut your mind. Lately, its been wide open and your thoughts just keep popping into my head." Harry moved his hands around his head and then hers and she laughed.   
  
"Sorry, I've been preoccupied lately," she replied.   
  
"Could it be about a certain Malfoy's response to your letter?"   
  
"Yes, and don't pretend you picked up on that without telepathic _assistance,_" she said.   
  
Harry stopped waving his hands around. "True, but your mother did mention it to me. She asked if I would have a word with old Draco if he said no this time."   
  
"Well, he didn't," Reagan sighed. "I am glad that she's coming."   
  
"But...?" Harry asked and sat down beside her on the bed.   
  
"But I just worry about her. Her Mum is the only one that hasn't been completely rotten to her for getting sorted into Gryffindor. And that's because she went to Beauxbatons and didn't really know any better. Do you know how many times she told me she wished she was adopted? I would totally believe that she was if she didn't have the blond hair and gray eyes and a Quidditch talent. She flies just like her brother." Reagan said this last sentence with a hint of disgust.   
  
"Well, I'm sure that Draco has some love in his heart for his daughter," Harry offered.   
  
Reagan sighed again. "You know, Dad, I've never told her about our Connection."   
  
"Really?" Harry asked. "How come?"   
  
"Well, with the logistics of it she should have one too. She has two older brothers, just like me. But I didn't tell her because it would be something else she didn't share with her father like she was supposed to."   
  
"Why do you supposed she doesn't have one?" Harry asked. He knew the answer, he was curious if she had figured it out.   
  
"Because she and her father are total opposites. There is no way on earth that_ they _share a bit of the same soul."   
  
"Well, maybe Draco feels the same way. It is something else he doesn't share with his daughter like he ought to."   
  
"What do you mean?" Reagan asked. "Does Draco know?"   
  
"Yes he does," Harry replied. "It sort of... came out... when we were, erm, in America."   
  
"And you never told me?" Reagan asked. "Where was I?"   
  
Harry glanced at her and then back at his hands. "You were, um..."   
  
"Oh, it was when I was tied up and suspended in mid air by a mad man," Reagan supplied for him. "I got put in a book for that you know."   
  
"Yeah," Harry replied. "Sorry 'bout that."   
  
"You should be!" Reagan exclaimed. "I was eleven! I was terrified!Thank goodness_ Mum_ was there to keep me calm."   
  
"Ouch!" Harry cried in false insult. "Write to your friend and tell her how excited you are for her to come. Oh, and ask what kind of ice cream she wants. That was the reason I came up here, your mother wanted to know."   
  
"All right, I will," Reagan complied and turned back to her letter. "Thanks Dad."   
  
"Its what Im here fore, kiddo," he replied and smiled at her. He shut the door leaving her to write her letter.   
  
Reagan did feel a little nervous about keeping something from her best friend. Reagan and Harry had a special bond, a Connection. It was officially called The Connection of Three, and it came into effect when a couple had two boys and one girl, in that order. It was a magical bond shared between father and daughter that was basically caused because they each shared a bit of the same soul. It made them able to see each others thoughts. Not read them, but if one was thinking something the other would have the same thought pop into their head. It became annoying at times but Reagan and Harry had learned to control it. Their connection also made them magically stronger. Magical power was intensified, but it was magical support in a way. Reagan's magical powers were strong because she had her fatherÕs magical powers supporting hers. It was difficult to explain and Reagan didn't know where to being when she explained it to Josie.   
  
Shaking her head, she began to write to her friend, but didn't mention the Connection. Not just yet.   
  
  
~~~~~~~   
  
  
"How's Reagan?" Ginny asked, as her husband came into the room.   
  
"All right, just a little worried about Josian."   
  
Ginny nodded in agreement. "You don't think Draco is mistreating her, do you?"   
  
"No, I don't," Harry said with confidence. "Well not intentionally. I think she may just feel alienated at home because of her House affiliation."   
  
Ginny sighed. "Once a Gryffindor hater, always a Gryffindor hater. You'd think he'd grown up, its his own daughter after all."   
  
"True," Harry agreed. "It will be good for her to be here."   
  
"Why? Cause you are such an awesome father?" Ginny teased.   
  
"Oh but of course! Didn't you hear? I was named 'Father of the Year by Witch Weekly.'" Ginny rolled her eyes. That much was true, and he had never let her forget it.   
  
"All right, Potter," she said. "You win."   
  
"Yes!" Harry hissed giving his wife a massive grin.   
  
"Don't tell anyone!" she commanded. "I don't want this getting around."   
  
"Don't worry, dear, it wont," Harry replied.   
  
"Why don't you go and owl your superior and invite her to dinner."   
  
"Oh, but love, I have no superior. No one is higher than me other than the Minister of Magic herself and..." Harry stopped and realization hit. "Oh! Right, Hermione... Minister of Magic... dinner, okay." He got up and left the kitchen and Ginny shook her head wondering again why _he_ was the Commander in Chief of the Aurors.   
  
  
  
  
  
_A/N: And we're off! Yeah for me I started a sequel!! I have actually a lot of this done, but I changed my approach so some of it will have to be redone. And wow, that was a long chapter! A wonderful way to start off!! Please review!!! Thank you all so so much and please REVIEW!!_   
  



	2. Chapter 2: The People You Meet

  
**Chapter Two: The People You Meet**   
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. End of discussion._   
  
  
  
Thursday came faster than usual. Well, it actually came as fast as normal, but Harry didn't realize how many days had gone by until one morning the bathroom mirror reminded him. It also made a comment on how scruffy he looked in the morning before he shaved.   
  
"You ready to go?" Harry asked as Reagan came down the stairs. She nodded energetically and followed Darenn into the study. Harry watched as Darenn went first. After he disappeared into the green flames, Reagan took her turn throwing Floo Powder into the fireplace and yelling, "Diagon Alley!" Harry shook his head, wondering why Reagan liked traveling by Floo Powder. He Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron in time to pull Reagan out of the grate as she landed expertly.   
  
"I don't understand why you don't like it, Daddy," Reagan said, brushing herself off.   
  
Harry shook his head. "I have my reasons."   
  
"It feels like your stomach falls to your toes. It kinda tickles," she explained.   
  
"I know what it feels like," Harry replied. "If you like the feeling so much, we should go a Muggle amusement park and ride a rollercoaster."   
  
"A what?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Nothing," Harry replied. He occasionally forgot that he knew more about the Muggle world more than his children did.   
  
The three made their way through the Leaky Cauldron. They chose a table in the middle of the room in perfect view of the door.  
  
Harry could tell that Reagan was a little nervous. She had only met Draco three times before and none of them had been pleasant. The first time had been in the San Francisco Jumper Station in California when Harry had taken his family with him to America to meet his newly found relatives. The second was when they arrived back at Platform 9 & 3/4 after their first year at Hogwarts, and the last had been this past fall as they were boarding the Hogwarts Express. None of these times Draco and Reagan had spoken much; Harry didn't really want his daughter to have much contact with the man. Though since their daughters had formed such a strong relationship over the years, Harry began to realize that she had to deal with him eventually.   
  
Harry and Draco were both Aurors, but Harry was the Commander in Chief of the British Auror Confederation. Draco was no where near as highly ranked as Harry was. It sometimes posed as a problem because Draco's attitude towards Harry had not improved since they left Hogwarts. Draco had to basically force himself to be respectful of Harry because Harry was his superior.   
  
Reagan heard the door open and didn't need to turn around to know who had walked in the room. She felt her father physically and mentally tense beside her, and then she heard the squeal.   
  
"Reagan!" Josie cried. Reagan turned and saw her blond friend running across the room. Reagan grinned. She jumped and hugged her friend.   
  
"Good afternoon Draco!" Harry said and offered his hand.   
  
"What's made you do cheery this morning, Potter?" Draco said and shook Harry's hand.   
  
"Nothing," Harry replied. "But I'd watch your tone."   
  
Draco smirked at Harry. "My apologies, sir."   
  
"Hello Josie," Harry said.   
  
"Hello Mr. Potter," Josie replied. "Father, this is Reagan."   
  
"Its nice to see you again, Mr. Malfoy," Reagan politely said. Harry grinned to himself, proud of his daughter's manners. He was half expecting Draco to make a comment on Reagan but none came.   
  
"Pleasure," Draco said to Reagan.   
  
"Are all ready for school?" Harry asked Josie and she nodded, sending sideways glances at her father.   
  
"She has all her Hogwarts things," Draco said to Harry.   
  
"Well, Reagan and Darenn both have some things still left to buy, so why don't we send your trunk along to the house," Harry said. He tapped Josie's trunk with his wand, muttered a spell and it disappeared.   
  
Draco muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like, "Show off."   
  
Harry turned and glared at Draco.   
  
"You're excused, Draco," Harry said sternly. "I'll see you Monday."   
  
Draco returned Harry's glare and Disapparated. Harry shook his head and turned to see if had Josian noticed his exchange with her father. She hadn't, but he knew Reagan did. He had felt her energy tense beside him.   
  
"Well ladies," Harry said. "Shall we?" He motioned towards the door and followed them out of the Leaky Cauldron.   
  
The sun was shining brightly outside as they stepped onto the cobbled street. Darenn walked along at his father's side and Josie and Reagan chatted a few paces ahead of them.   
  
"Girls," Harry said, directing them towards Flourish and Blotts. Reagan glanced at her father, smiling and steered Josie into the shop.   
  
"Reagan, honey, give me your list," Harry said to his daughter. Reagan produced her list out of her pocket and handed it to Harry before moving off towards the Romance section after Josie.   
  
"How many classes is she taking?" Harry asked as he looked over his daughter's book list.   
  
"Looks to be a lot," Darenn commented, looking over Harry's arm at the parchment.   
  
"She has Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, _and_ Muggle Studies?" Harry's eyes grew.   
  
"It seems that way. She also has all the others ones too, like Potions and Transfiguration and Charms and stuff."   
  
"Isn't that a lot?" Harry asked.   
  
Darenn shrugged. "Mum did it. James did it. I have Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes. And we play Quidditch."   
  
"I only had Care of Magical Creatures and Divination."   
  
"Aunt Hermione old us that Divination was a silly subject. She ended up dropping it."   
  
"Yes, I vaguely remember," Harry muttered.   
  
"I guess the timetables worked out for Reagan to have one extra class without overloading herself," Darenn said.   
  
"Can I help you?" the saleswitch asked.   
  
"Um, yes, I need...uh..." Harry paused and looked at the parchment again.   
  
"Here, Mr. Potter," she offered and took the parchment from him. "Allow me." Darenn handed her his list as well and she went off to gather their books.   
  
"Hey Dad, look at this," Darenn said, picking up a book.   
  
"_Famous Wizards in the Twenty First Century?_" Harry asked. "How can they make one yet? This century's just begun."   
  
"Well, they did," Darenn replied as he flipped though it. "And guess what?"   
  
"Oh, no," Harry groaned as Darenn turned the book around. "_Chapter Four: The-One-Who-Conquered-the-Dark-Lord?_"   
  
Darenn chuckled. 'You can't get away from it, can you Dad?"   
  
"This was eighteen years ago!" Harry cried and took the book from him. "You'd think it would be old news! It says the 'Boy-Who-Lived, conquered the Dark Lord!' Oh, come on!"   
  
"Dad, I don't think you'll ever live it down. Its going to be one of those things that follows you around forever and ever," Darenn chuckled.   
  
"Oh, cut it out!" Harry scoffed and playfully smacked his son's arm. Darenn laughed and took the book from him.   
  
"Hello Darenn," a voice said. Harry turned and saw a pretty raven haired girl, who looked slightly familiar.   
  
"Oh, hello, Avery," Darenn said, seeming to grow nervous. "Dad, this is, um, Avery Valentine. She's a Gryffindor, in my year."   
  
"Its a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valentine," Harry said as he shook her hand.   
  
"Its nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," she said and blushed. "I think you know my Mum. She mentioned you once."   
  
"Is that so? What was her name?"   
  
"Padma Patil, though when she married my dad it was Padma Valentine," she explained.   
  
"Oh, yes, I do remember your mum," Harry replied, wondering how much Padma had mentioned him. "Tell her hello for me, will you?"   
  
"Oh, yes, I certainly will!" Avery replied.   
  
"Dad, do you mind if we go and get some ice cream?" Darenn asked. "I mean, will you be okay with the 'giggle girls'?" Avery gave him a questioning look and then she saw Reagan and Josie on the other end of the store.   
  
"I'll be fine, Darenn," Harry asked. "We'll head over to the Apothecary next, then meet us at Quality Quidditch Supplies."   
  
"Thanks Dad," Darenn said. "See you."   
  
"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," Avery said as she walked past him.   
  
"ÒIt was my pleasure," Harry replied.   
  
"He's so nice!" he heard Avery say to Darenn as they left the store.   
  
"Here you go, Mr. Potter," the saleswitch said as she handed him his book order and Harry turned to take them from her. "Just sign right here, Mr. Potter." He signed his name on the charge slip for the gold to be taken out of his vault to cover the cost of the purchases.   
  
"Can you send them to my house?" Harry asked.   
  
"Of course, Mr. Potter," she replied, smiling. "Everything will be taken care of."   
  
"Thank you," Harry replied. Reagan and Josie were already waiting by the door and he met them with a bright smile.   
  
"Where to now?" Reagan asked.   
  
"The Apothecary," Harry replied. "Then Quality Quidditch Supplies and then Madame Malkin's, and then."   
  
"Then can we get ice cream?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Yes, I was about to say after Madame Malkin's we have an order to place for your mother at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and I don't see any reason to pass up the opportunity to have ice cream ourselves." Reagan and Josie smiled brightly as they walked into the Apothecary. This store always made Harry nauseous so he did his best to hurry.   
  
"Where'd your brother go?" Harry heard Josie ask._ He went with Avery Valentine to get ice cream,_ Harry thought. _She's a very nice girl._   
  
"Oh, he went to get ice cream with that Avery girl in his year," Reagan replied.   
  
"How do you know?" Josie asked. "Did you see them?"   
  
"No, I um..." Reagan paused. "I mean yeah, I saw them walk past the window and just assumed that they were getting ice cream."   
  
"Oh," Josie said.   
  
_Damn,_ Harry thought. He'd have to be careful with Josie around. If Reagan didn't want Josie to know about their Connection, then he would have to do his best to avoid question raising situations.   
  
"Done?" he asked the girls. He stood with his bag full of Reagan and Darenn's replacement items as well as a few things Ginny had asked him to pick up.   
  
"Yup," Reagan replied and Harry followed them out of the store.   
  
"We're going to Quality Quidditch Supplies next, right?" Josie asked, more to Reagan than Harry.   
  
Reagan nodded. "Yeah, Dad said I could look at new brooms, cause mine is getting old."   
  
"Old?" Josie asked. "You've only had it for three years."   
  
"He said I could _look,_ not get. I'll need a knew one next year," Reagan replied.   
  
"Hey Dad," Darenn said as they stepped into Quality Quidditch Supplies.   
  
"How was your ice cream?" Harry asked and Darenn blushed.   
  
"You can stop thinking that, Dad," Darenn replied. "Avery and I are just _friends._"   
  
Harry made an attempt to look offended. "I never thought any different!"   
  
"Yeah right, Dad," Reagan put in. She and Josie were moving towards the broom displays, and Harry gave her a smirked at her.   
  
"Seriously, Dad," Darenn said, looking determined.   
  
"All right, all right," Harry answered and followed his daughter.   
  
This year's model, the Nimbus 4000, were designed to each specific Quidditch position. However, that was not the only specification. There were fourteen models total, one for each position and one for a male rider and a female rider. Apparently it mattered. Harry watched as Darenn, Reagan and Josie drooled over the brooms.   
  
"Look, it says 'Price on Request,'" Reagan said to her brother.   
  
"Of course it does," he replied. "They never put the prices on these things. I've never seen an actual price."   
  
"Excuse me," Harry asked the saleswizard passing by.   
  
"Oh, yes, Mr. Potter?" he asked. Harry pulled him out of the hearing range of his children.   
  
"I'd like to make an order," Harry began and waited for the man to pull an order pad out of his robe pocket. "Can you please send one Nimbus 4000 Chaser, female, to Miss Reagan Potter, and one Nimbus 4000 Beater, male, to Mr. Darenn Potter, both at Hogwarts the second week of term." The man scribbled down the order.   
  
"That's a hearty gift," the man replied. He handed Harry the quill to sign for the gold transfer and Harry penned his name on the line.   
  
"Are you going to get them?" Reagan was asking Josie.   
  
The blond girl shrugged. "I don't know. Father doesn't like it when I spend my money on things like that."   
  
"Like what?" Harry asked, coming into the conversation. Josie looked at Reagan and then back at Harry.   
  
"Josie wants new Seeker gloves because hers went mysteriously 'missing' after the Quidditch cup last year," Reagan explained.   
  
"Missing?" Harry asked.   
  
"Well, we won the Cup against Slytherin, and Mathias was mad so he stole her gloves."   
  
"He did not!" Josie insisted. "Father said he checked Mathias' room and they weren't there."   
  
"Yeah, and he also told you to stop making up excuses for your own irresponsibility. Like _you_ would ever be irresponsible about anything."   
  
"He's my brother," Josie said. "I don't think he would just take something from me."   
  
"Why not?" Reagan asked. "My brothers just take things from me all the time. Parchment, chocolate frogs, quills; I have to etch my name in everything I get so I can prove its mine."   
  
"But its different," Josie replied and crossed her arms.   
  
"How?" Reagan challenged.   
  
Josie didn't answer immediately. "It just is."   
  
Reagan and Josian stared at each other.   
  
"Well whatever," Reagan finally said. "If you don't buy them, then I'll buy them for you." Josie looked at her friend. Anyone could see the internal debate going on.   
  
"Well, I suppose Father won't really know," Josie eventually said. "I mean, it is my money."   
  
"Its settled then," Reagan said. "You can get your Seeker gloves and I need a new pair of Chaser gloves and we'll be set."   
  
"Reagan," Harry began.   
  
"I can pay for them, Dad," Reagan said, realizing what her father was intending to do. "If you don't let me spend my money, then I'll be filthy rich before I'm twenty and won't know what to do with it."   
  
Harry nodded and looked at Darenn. "Do you need anything?"   
  
"Nope," Darenn replied. "I bought new gloves last year."   
  
"I'll wait outside then," Harry said and left the store. Soon after Darenn followed Josie and Reagan both holding their new purchases as if they were gold.   
  
"Madame Malkins?" Harry asked, and the three nodded and headed towards the shop.   
  
Harry had always liked Madam Malkin's. It had been one of the first shops he ahd been in when he had first discovered the wizarding world. It was where he ahd met Draco for the first time.   
  
"Say, Josie?" Harry asked and she turned to look at him.   
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" she replied politely.   
  
"Did you know this is the first place I met your father?"   
  
Josie glanced around. "Really? In here?"   
  
Harry nodded.   
  
"Wow, that's nice to know," she replied.   
  
"I thought you'd like that completely useless bit of knowledge," Harry said to her and he thought he saw Reagan roll her eyes.   
  
"Did you get dress robes yet?" Reagan asked her friend.   
  
"Yes, I came with my Mum last week," Josie replied. "Father insisted that I get black, something about looking appropriate."   
  
"Oh," Reagan replied. "Then come help me pick out mine."   
  
"Dress robes?" Harry asked Darenn as Reagan pulled Josie to the other side of the shop.   
  
"Yeah, Dad," Darenn answered. "Dress robes, you know for the Holiday Ball. Fourth years get to go, didn't you read out Hogwarts letters? It was in the permission slip."   
  
"No," Harry replied. "I signed Reagan's, but I didn't read it."   
  
"Mum signed mine, and she read it. She told me to remind you because she doubted that you read Reagan's."   
  
"Figures," he muttered. He walked over to his daughter and was surprised to see her taking to a tall dark haired boy.   
  
"Oh, hi Daddy," Reagan said as he approached them.   
  
"Hi honey," he said, eyeing this new boy.   
  
"Dad, this is Trevor Daniels," Reagan said.   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Trevor said, and shook Harry's hand. "I was shopping for my dress robes when I saw Reagan. So I thought I'd stop and say hello."   
  
"Nice to meet you," Harry said.   
  
"Hey, Trevor!" Darenn said, shaking his hand. "How's your summer?"   
  
Trevor smiled. "Oh, its all right. I took a vacation to Australia. My aunt loved it."   
  
"That sounds like fun," Reagan commented.   
  
"Australia, that's quite an interesting place," Harry said.   
  
"It was, Mr. Potter," Trevor replied and glanced at his watch. "Well, I've got to meet my aunt at the Leaky Cauldron, right about now actually, so I guess I'll see you on the train." He smiled at Reagan and Josie.   
  
"Bye," Josie said.   
  
"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," Trevor said as he was leaving.   
  
"Like wise," Harry replied.   
  
"See ya," Darenn said as Trevor left.   
  
"Oh," Trevor began, turning back to them. "Reagan, did you decide what color you're going to get?"   
  
"Color for what?" she asked.   
  
"Dress robes," Trevor replied.   
  
"Oh! I was thinking white," Reagan answered.   
  
"Good choice," Trevor replied. "I'll see you on the train." Harry watched as he left Madame Malkin's. Trevor turned and waved as he stepped out of the shop. Harry caught a glimpse of the patch on his Hogwarts robes and realized what house he was in.   
  
"Dad, don't," Reagan warned before he could say a word.   
  
"Reagan," he began but stopped.   
  
"He's in Slytherin, so what?" Reagan challenged. "You always tell us not to judge people by their house affiliation."   
  
"Reagan, yes, but," Harry started.   
  
"There are no buts Dad," Reagan said._ He's different,_ she thought.   
  
"Reagan, stop that!" Harry scolded. Reagan's eyes grew and then narrowed into a glare.   
  
"Dad, if you didn't let your guard down every time you were angered, it wouldn't be a problem," Reagan replied.   
  
"Reagan," Harry began but he stopped. He didn't want to make a scene in the shop and especially in font of Josie, who was watching the exchange with great interest. Harry sighed.   
  
"We'll finish this later," Harry said. He mentally closed the door before any more of her thoughts could pop into his head. Reagan jumped as his door mentally slammed shut and the light fixture above them shook.   
  
Harry felt it would be best to sign the gold transfer slip for whatever they were to buy and leave, before he and his daughter got into a row. He scribbled his name on the parchment, scratching it harder than necessary at the last "r" and left the robe shop.   
  
Harry was able to breath and straighten himself once outside. He took a few deep breaths and started to walk to the Magical Menagerie. Besides, he did love his daughter, regardless of who her friends were. He knew that he couldn't finish this with her later because he didn't want to fight with her when Josie was visiting, and they were both leaving for Hogwarts in a week. Harry sighed again as he entered the Magical Menagerie. There was one more thing he wanted to buy for his daughter.   
_ A/N: This was quite a long chapter. Well, please review, I can't use the first fic excuse anymore, but I can try 'this is my first sequel so please review!!' And if you have any questions, please feel free to put them in the review box and IÕll do my best to answer them. ~EE_   



	3. Chapter 3:Dreams on the Hogwarts Express

  
  
  
  
**Chapter Three: Dreams on the Hogwarts Express**   
  
_  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That'd be pretty cool, though._   
"Do you have everything?" Reagan asked Josie as she closed her trunk.   
  
"Yeah, I do," Josie replied, adding the last pairs of socks.   
  
"Just leave it up here, my dad will get it," Reagan explained.   
  
Josie winced at the mention of Reagan's father. "All right."   
  
"Are you all right?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Josie replied._ Damn her Malfoy pride! _Reagan thought.   
  
"Seriously?" Reagan asked.   
  
Josie sighed. There was no point in trying to hide anything from her, Reagan picked up on everything.   
  
"Its ...erm...you father."   
  
"My dad?" Reagan asked, a bit surprised. "I don't understand."   
  
"Its just that he's so... _different _from my father. Its just odd to see it is all."   
  
"Oh," Reagan replied, debating about whether or not was the time to tell her about the Connection.   
  
"Girls!" Harry's voice came from down stairs.   
  
"Come on," Reagan said. "We'd better get going." Josie nodded and picked up her cloak. Reagan scooped her cat into her arms and carried her out of the room. She paused and glanced back at Josie.   
  
She was staring at her cloak, at the Gryffindor patch sewn onto her robes. The blond haired girl shook her head and put her cloak on and Reagan went down the the stairs, before she was seen.   
~~~~~~   
  
  
"Cal!" Reagan cried. The sandy haired boy turned at the sound of his voice too see Reagan and Josie running towards him.   
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed. Reagan threw her arms around him and he awkwardly hugged her back.   
  
"Hi Josie," Cal said as Reagan let go of him.   
  
"Hey Cal," Josie said, blushing.   
  
"Cal, you've met my dad, right?" Reagan asked as Harry and Ginny walked over to them.   
  
"Yeah, once or twice. Hello Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," Cal said and politely shook their hands.   
  
"Nice to see you again," Ginny replied. "Did you have a nice summer?"   
  
Cal shrugged. "As nice as could be expected. We went to..." He stopped as the train whistle blew, drownding his voice in the air.   
  
"You'd better got on the train," Harry said. Cal and Josie stepped on and waited for Reagan.   
  
"Go on, I'll be along in a moment," Reagan said to her friends.   
  
"Have a nice term, honey," Ginny said, taking her daughter into her arms. Reagan hugged her mother tightly and kissed her cheek.   
  
"Thanks Mum," Reagan whispered. Ginny released her and kissed her forehead before moving on to Darenn.   
  
"Bye Daddy," Reagan said as she hugged Harry.   
  
_Daddy, don't cry! _Reagan thought as she felt him sigh like he did when he was fighting tears.   
  
"I'm okay," Harry whispered back. "Have a good term, and stay out of trouble, well... you know what I mean." Reagan giggled and pulled away form her father.   
  
"I'll be all right Dad. I'll be...er...good," she replied with a sly smile.   
  
"Glad to hear it," he said and kissed her forehead.   
  
"Bye, Daddy," she said and stepped onto the train. She found her compartment easily and took her seat by the window.   
  
"You okay?" Josie asked. Reagan nodded and fought down her tears. _Damn it Dad, why did you have to cry?_   
  
"I'm fine," Reagan said. She watched her parents wave at her, her dad's arm protectively around her mum's shoulder. Reagan was really fond of her parents and was amazed by how in love they still were. She watched her parents fade from view before turning back to her friends.   
  
They chatted with Cal for about their summers. Soon the old witch came sound with the snack cart. Josie and Cal wouldn't allow Reagan to buy them sweets claiming they could by their own, so they each loaded up with sweets for the trip.   
  
Caitlin Weasley, Reagan's cousin and Nicholas Fitch-Fletchley stopped by to say hello. Caitlin was Reagan's Uncle Ron's daughter. Caitlin's brother, Paul, was the Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ethan Weasley came by also, with Hayden Thorns, Bolton Stumps and Duncan Cameron, all Gryffindor fourth years. Ethan was Uncle Percy's son. He and his brother Thomas, a fifth year, took after their father more than Reagan could tolerate. Her Uncle Percy had had a big family dinner when Thomas had been named a Gryffindor Prefect.   
  
Lane Caldwell and Katie Ice, the other Gryffindor fourth years, came by also and chatted with Josie and Reagan. Lane was a Chaser on the Gryffindor team, and she was also Erika Caldwell's little sister, who was Reagan's eldest brother's girlfriend. James was an Auror and Erika was a medi-witch. Lane and Reagan knew they would be sisters-in-law someday. Josie's brother, Mathias came by also with three other Slytherins, sixth years Frank Follon, Saul Harbor and Ranika Snayth. The dispensed their usual taunting till Adalia Moore, a sixth year Hufflepuff Prefect came by and took five points away, each, for causing trouble on the train.   
  
Logan Wood, who Reagan had known since she was born, also stopped in to say hello. He was a second year and was a new Chaser on the team. He talked nonstop about how his father was going to buy him a new Nimbus 4000 once Quidditch season commenced. Reagan rolled her eyes at this new information, and Josie giggled at her. Logan's father was Professional Quidditch player, Oliver Wood, who Reagan's father had attended Hogwarts with. Oliver and Harry had stayed good friends afterwards. Reagan had played on the same peewee Quidditch team with Logan and his older sister Audra, who was a seventh year.   
  
The only member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team that did not stop by was seventh year Denley Thompson and he never rode the train because his family lived in Hogsmead. Trevor Daniels stopped by, but not for long. Trevor was a Slytherin Prefect and was trying to find some poor first year's lost toad.   
  
After everyone stopped visiting, their chatter turned to silence. Josie fell asleep against the window opposite Reagan, and Cal was slumped against the door on the same bench as Josie. Reagan glanced at her black cat sleeping in her lap. Eclipse had been a gift from her father her second year. He said that when he was little, before he knew about magic, he always thought witches should have black cats. He said that when he found out he was going to be a father, he decided that his daughter would have a black cat.   
  
Eclipse purred faintly as Reagan stroked her back, gazing out the window, not really thinking about anything. As the hills and lakes moved by she too fell asleep.   
~~~~~~~~   
  
  
Reagan opened her eyes and glanced around. Where was she? It looked like the Hogwarts Express, but it was so... quiet. She opened a compartment door and peered in. There were four first years all slumped against each other, fast asleep.   
  
_Thats odd,_ Reagan thought. She moved down the corridor and opened another door. Again, she found students asleep. Normally the train to Hogwarts was loud and filled with excited students. This was defiantly out of the ordinary.   
  
Reagan walked further till she got to the engineer compartment.   
  
"Hello?" she said as she knocked on the door. It swung open.   
  
"Hello there!" a man brightly said. "Can I help you?"   
  
Reagan was puzzled. This man didn't look like the conductor. He looked too old to be a student, with a head full of curly blond hair and shimmery lavender robes. He smiled brightly at her and she backed away. The door closed leaving Reagan alone in the silence.   
  
"Reagan!" Josie said from behind her. Reagan turned and saw her best friend walking towards her. "Were are you going?"   
  
"Huh?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Come on," Josie said and beckoned for her to follow. "The common room is this way."   
  
Reagan followed Josie through the train. She pushed opened a compartment door and stepped into the main corridor. _When did that get put there? _Reagan wondered. She followed Josie up the stairs towards the common room. They stepped onto a stairwell and it started to move.   
  
"What the?" Josie said, looking around.   
  
"The staircases move, remember? James told us that our first day here."   
  
"Oh, right," Josie replied and began to wobble.   
  
"Steady," Reagan said and steadied her friend. "If you're not careful, you might fall down the stairs."   
  
"Thanks," Josie replied and smiled.   
  
"Reagan," someone called her name. _I recognize that voice, who's it?_   
  
"Reagan," it called again and shook her slightly. _That's Darenn's voice, _she thought. Reagan opened her eyes slowly and saw her brother standing over her.   
  
"Reagan, wake up," he said. "We're almost there."   
  
"Hmm?" Reagan said, sitting up. She stretched and yawned and groggily looked around her. The compartment was dark and Josie and Cal were still asleep.   
  
"We're almost there, Reagan," Darenn repeated. "You fell asleep."   
  
"I didn't even realize I was tired," Reagan replied.   
  
"Yeah, well, a lot of people fell asleep. Its not that big of a deal," Darenn said.   
  
"What do you mean 'a lot of people fell asleep'?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well, seventy five percent of the train fell asleep. The prefects and a few others were the only ones awake the entire time," he answered.   
  
"What?" Reagan exclaimed. "Are you serious?"   
  
"Calm down, Reagan," Darenn said. "Its not that big of a deal, everyone was just a bit tired."   
  
"A bit tired?" Reagan cried. "Since when is everyone tired on the ride to school?"   
  
"Reagan, what else could it have been?" Darenn asked. She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it.   
  
"Nothing," she muttered.   
  
"Reagan, did you have one of your dreams?" he asked quietly.   
  
"No, Darenn," she lied. "I just didn't realize how tired I was."   
  
Darenn eyed her. "All right then. Can you wake Josie and Cal up, please?"   
  
Reagan nodded and her brother left the compartment. She woke her friends and they got their things together.   
  
"You all right?" Cal asked Reagan as they made their way into the hallway.   
  
"Yeah, just groggy," Reagan replied.   
  
"Yeah, me too," Cal said.   
  
"Now don't nip at the House Elves," Reagan whispered to her cat. Eclipse opened a sleepy eye and snuggled into a different position in her basket. Reagan left the basket with the other pets as she got off the train and followed the flow of students towards the carriages.   
  
"Reagan, come on," Josie said from in front of her. Reagan ran to catch up and got into the carriage.   
~~~~~~~~   
"You know, I wonder if they ever make it look different for the opening feast." Josie said as she gazed at the ceiling.   
  
"I doubt it," Reagan commented. "I think its supposed to amaze the first years or something. Did you remember you hat?"   
  
"Yes," Josie said, pulling her black pointed hat out from beneath her robes.   
  
"I remembered mine too," Cal announced.   
  
"Good thing," Reagan replied. "I doubt McGonagall would have forgiven you three years in a row for forgetting it." Cal blushed and stuck his hat on his head.   
  
The sorting ceremony went by as quickly as normal which in Reagan's opinion was not fast enough. She recognized a few last names, particularly Laura Longbottom and Maudine Crabbe. Maudine went to the Slytherin table, and Laura and the new Gryffindor first years settled into the Gryffindor table.   
  
"I have a few start of term announcements to make," Professor Lupin said and everyone quieted down.   
  
"First of all, welcome back! And for you first years, welcome to Hogwarts! As most of you know, I am Professor Lupin, Deputy Headmaster, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration Professor. I expect you are all anxious and prepared to start the new term. This year our Head Boy is Bishop Glennon from Hufflepuff and our Head Girl is Braelyn Stokes from Gryffindor. Also," he paused and waited for the cheering to stop. "Professor Pierce has taken a maternity leave, so it it my pleasure to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Please welcome Professor Gareth Lockhart!"   
  
Reagan noticed the new teacher sitting at the head table for the first time and gasped. He was young, not much older than the seventh years. Professor Lockhart had a huge grin on his face and a head full of blond curly hair and was wearing long lavender robes that were shimmering in the candle light.   
  
"Reagan?" Josie asked, looking concerned. She was the last thing Reagan heard before she fainted.   
  
  
_ A/N: Another chapter down, and more to come. Eclipse is named after my own cat who sadly passed away about 18 months ago. She was a black cat and it seemed only fitting that Reagan's black cat be named after her. Also, thank you to all the reviewers, you guys are awesome! ~EE   
  
A/N 2: This is my treat to all of you. I am going to be on Spring Break from college (California here I come!) and thought I would give you all two chapters to hold you all over for the week. Enjoy, and I'll start positing again when I get back. Hopefully I can get a lot written over break! ~EE  
  
A/N 3: Oh, and I know I'm evil for leaving you with that little cliffie there. ~EE  
  
_


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Owl Post

  
  
**Chapter Four: Unexpected Owl Post**  
  
  
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. _  
"Is she going to be okay?" someone asked.   
  
"She'll be fine," a woman replied.   
  
"Should we notify Harry?" a man asked. _Harry, who was Harry?_ Reagan thought for a moment. _Oh yes, Harry is my father. Harry Potter, and that makes me Reagan Potter._   
  
"There's no need to make him worry for nothing!" another woman replied.   
  
"Too bad I didn't get there sooner, I'd of had her awake by now!" a man said. Someone scoffed and Reagan heard footsteps.   
  
"Honestly Gareth!" a woman said.   
  
"Seriously! I was trained as a medi-wizard, I have the diploma to prove it." There was a pause. "Headmistress, I wouldn't be here if I couldn't do the job. Unlike my father, I am _actually_ skilled in the defenses of the dark arts."   
  
"I believe you Gareth, or else I wouldn't have allowed Remus to hire you. But you will find others less likely to believe that you are different from Gilderoy."   
  
Reagan heard a sigh and more footsteps._ Where am I? _She opened an eye and slowly took in what she saw.   
  
Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, Madame Pomfrey, and Professor Lockhart were all staring at her. Darenn was sitting in a chair beside her bed. She was in the infirmary.   
  
"Werrrt ammummmd?" she mumbled and tried to sit up. Her mouth was dry, making it hard to talk.   
  
"Easy Reagan," Darenn said, helping her sit up. She sipped some water from a glass and found her voice.   
  
"What happened?" she repeated.   
  
"You fainted dear," Madame Pomfrey said.   
  
"I did?" Reagan asked.   
  
"What do you remember?" Professor Lupin asked.   
  
"I was...I was in the Great Hall. Cal remembered his hat. You that said Brae and that Hufflepuff were Head Boy and Girl and that there was a new teacher. It was...was... It was... you." Reagan pointed at Professor Lockhart.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Miss Potter," Professor Lockhart said. "I''m Professor Lockhart."   
  
"Lockhart?" she repeated. Her mind wondered back to a story she had heard from her father about a Professor Lockhart. Something about Cornish Pixies.   
  
"Yes, Lockhart," he chuckled. "A different Lockhart than your father has told you about no doubt."   
  
"But you were...were.. you were..." Reagan trailed off.   
  
"I was where?" he asked.   
  
"No where," she muttered and looked away.   
  
"Reagan, have you seen Professor Lockhart before?" Professor Lupin asked. Reagan nodded slowly.   
  
"And where was that?"   
  
Reagan didn't say anything. She looked from her uncle to her Headmistress, to the new teacher she had seen in her dream   
  
"It was in a dream," she mumbled.   
  
"I beg your pardon?" Professor Lupin asked.   
  
"He was in a dream I had on the train," she replied.   
  
"I knew you have a dream!" Darenn exclaimed. "Thats why you panicked when I told you everyone fell asleep! Is that how you knew? Does Dad know?"   
  
Reagan glared hard at her brother, mentally begging him to stop. The professors stood around them, were eyeing the pair with mounting curiously.   
  
"Reagan," Professor Lupin said slowly. "Did you see the students asleep and Professor Lockhart in your dream?"   
  
Reagan nodded. Professor Lupin knew about her Connection with her father. She was hoping he wouldn't say anything about it to the other Professors.   
  
"And thats why you fainted?" Professor Lupin continued. "Because it freaked you out?"   
  
Reagan nodded again, not daring to look at the adults surrounding her bed.   
  
"There's the explanation then," Professor Lupin said. "Poppy, is she well enough to sleep in Gryffindor Tower tonight?"   
  
"I believe so. She didn't hit her head or anything, Cal Morris caught her as she fell," Madame Pomfrey explained. "She should be fine to stay in her dormitory."   
  
"All right then," Professor Lupin said. "Professors, it's late, and Miss Potter needs a good nights sleep. Remember classes begin tomorrow, and I know I need to finish up a few lesson plans. Darenn, if you'll help your sister out of bed, I'll escort you two back to the common room."   
~~~~~~~~   
  
  
"Are you going to faint every time you see Professor Lockhart?" Cal asked. Reagan had gone straight to her bed the previous night, not speaking to anyone. She explained what had happened to Josie and Cal the next morning at breakfast.   
  
"No silly, it won't happened again," Reagan replied and dished some fruit onto her plate.   
  
"You gave us quite a fright, Reagan," Josie said.   
  
"Sorry," Reagan apologized.   
  
"I'm glad you're all right though," Josie continued. "It was quiet without you in the common room last night. Everyone was worried. No one stuck around very late, I suppose everyone was still tried from the train ride."   
  
Reagan paused momentarily before taking a sip of her juice. The train ride, that was peculiar. Reagan made a mental note to write to her father about it as soon as possible.   
  
She smiled as Professor Lupin walked amongst the Gryffindor table, disturbing the schedules.   
  
"Here you go Miss Potter," he said handing Reagan her schedule.   
  
"Thanks, Uncle, I mean Professor Lupin," she smiled and her uncle winked at her.   
  
"And for you Mr. Morris," Professor Lupin said and handed a parchment to Cal, "and Miss Malfoy." Josie wrinkled her nose slightly at the sound of her last name, though Reagan was the only one that noticed.   
  
"Potions with the Ravenclaws," Josie read from her timetable. "Not bad, then we have Transfiguration and then lunch."   
  
"When do we have Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Reagan asked, not bothering to look at her own timecard.   
  
"Wednesday afternoon," Cal replied. "And its a double."   
  
"With the Slytherins," Josie groaned. Reagan nodded and finished her breakfast. They gathered their bags and left a few minutes early to rush back to Gryffindor Tower to gather their books before making their way to the dungeons.   
  
Reagan took a seat in the middle, lifting her cauldron onto the table. Cal and Josie sat on either side of her, plunking their cauldrons onto the table. The other Gryffindors filed in behind them, filling the desks in front and behind. The Ravenclaws filed the desks across from them, glancing at Reagan nervously.   
  
"All right, quiet down, quiet down," the teacher said coming into the room. The fourth years settled down and she continued.   
  
"Welcome to Potions, fourth years. As you all know, I am Professor Abbott, your Potions Mistress. This year I am also the new Head of Hufflepuff House, as Professor Peirce has taken a leave of absence. Now, don't expect me to favor my own house, I will do now such thing. Now, who can remind us of what potions were covered last term?" The class stared blankly at her. Reagan slowly raised her hand.   
  
"Ah, Miss Potter," Professor Abbott said.   
  
"We made a Shrinking Solution, Professor," Reagan responded.   
  
"Thats a good one, yes. Five points to Gryffindor. Any others?"   
  
Caitlin raised her hand. "Aging Potion."   
  
"Excellent, another five points!"   
  
A few other students rattled off various potions, Wit-Sharpening Potion and Confusing Concoction among them. Professor Abbott discussed a few of the potions they would be learning and sent them off to Transfiguration with a list of all the potions they were to brew this year. Their assignment was to choose the three they find most interesting and write a two foot essay on why they chose these three. Professor Abbott said that the top fifteen potions chosen were the ones they would actually cover this term.   
  
They moved with the rest of the Gryffindors towards the Transfiguration classroom. Reagan took her seat in the second row and pulled out her textbook.   
  
"I hate it when we get homework on the first day," Josie complained. Cal nodded in agreement as did Reagan, though her mind was elsewhere.   
  
"When did you say we had Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Wednesday!" Cal and Josie replied at the same time. Reagan had asked this question at least seven times during Potions.   
  
"Oh, right," Reagan replied.   
  
"Reagan, why are you so concerned when we have Defense against the Dark arts?" Josie asked.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "I just..."   
  
"Good afternoon, class," Professor Lupin said, cutting Reagan off mid sentence. She turned towards her uncle, deciding not to answer Josie at that exact moment. Reagan noticed that there was a tabby cat sitting on Professor Lupin's desk. The tabby cat reminded her of someone, but Reagan couldn't place her finger on who.   
  
"How is your first day back?" Professor Lupin asked as he got out the attendance. The class answered in a murmur of 'fine,' 'okay,' and 'not much different.'   
  
"Well then," Professor Lupin replied, looking up from his attendance sheet. "Is Lane here? Lane Caldwell?" Reagan turned and looked for Lane.   
  
"Right here, Professor Lupin," Lane called from the back of the room.   
  
"Ah there you are," Professor Lupin said and marked her present. "I didn't see you back there." He finished the roll and tucked it away in his brief case.   
  
"Today, class, we're going to just have a discussion. I'll inform you when note taking is necessary. Now, can anyone tell us which sort of spells are needed for Cross-Species transfiguration?"   
  
Reagan's hand shot in the air. "Animagus transformations."   
  
"Precisely! Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Potter," Professor Lupin replied. "Now, can anyone tell us what an Animagus is exactly?" A few hands shot in the air.   
  
"Miss Rowley," Professor Lupin called on a sandy haired Hufflepuff.   
  
"An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can transform into an animal at will," she answered.   
  
Professor Lupin smiled. "Five points to Hufflepuff. Animagi: the ability to transform into an animal at will. Now does anyone know of a witch or wizard that has accomplished this?"   
  
Reagan fought an urge to throw her hand in the air. Her father and brother were Animagi, not to mention ...Well that wasn't important right now. She wasn't about to tell everyone about _that,_ and her father and brother were _illegal _Animagi.   
  
When Professor Lupin saw that no one knew or was willing to confess, he continued. "Now, I know for a fact that all of you know an Animagus. You all know Headmaster McGonagall, correct? Well she is an Animagus, she can turn into a tabby cat at will." He gestured towards the tabby cat sitting on the desk. She leapt off the desk and landed on the floor as a full grown Professor McGonagall.   
  
_Now I remember, _Reagan thought as the entire class erupted in applause. Professor McGonagall looked extremely pleased with herself.   
  
"Thank you, Headmistress," Professor Lupin said to her.   
  
"Its my pleasure, Remus," she replied. "I had forgotten what a rush it was to do that in front of a class." Professor McGonagall excused herself from the room and Professor Lupin continued with his lesson.   
  
"Now, for the first half of the first term, till about Halloween, we will be learning the basis of Cross-Species Switching spells, which are the basis for Animagi transfiguration, as Miss Potter has just informed us. Then, in the second half of the term, we will practice Cross-Species Switching spells, with animals. Next term, we will look closer at the Animagus transformation. We will not be practicing this, however, mainly learning the theory and concept of it. You will not have practical Animagi lessons until your seventh year." The class groaned at this and Professor Lupin frowned. "Can anyone tell me why we can't cover practical Animagus transformation this year?"   
  
No one in the class answered and again, Reagan raised her hand.   
  
"It takes wandless magic to complete an Animagus transformation," Reagan answered.   
  
"Exactly," Professor Lupin replied. "And, you don't even cover the principle of wandless magic till your seventh year. So it would be completely backwards if you were to do an practical Animagi practice this year."   
  
"But Professor Lupin," Caitlin said raising her hand. "I thought we started Animagi studies in our sixth year."   
  
Professor Lupin grinned. "Normally, yes, that is when you would normally study Animagi. However, I've decided to do start it early. You cover the basics this year, and learn an little more your fifth and sixth years." Professor Lupin glanced at Reagan and she thought she saw a twinkle in his eye. He continued his lecture for the rest of class and sent them off to lunch with cramps in their hands. The note taking had begun directly after Professor Lupin had answered Caitlin's question.   
  
"Animagi!" Cal exclaimed as they sat down for lunch. "That will be incredible!" Reagan smiled weakly and dished some potatoes onto her plate.   
  
"Did you know Professor McGonagall was an Animagus?" Josie asked.   
  
"Uh, yeah, I did," Reagan replied.   
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Cal asked.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "It never came up."   
  
"Do you know any others?" Josie asked before taking a bite of her roast beef.   
  
Before Reagan could answer, an owl swooped down and dropped onto her plate.   
  
"Javen!" Reagan cried, picking up the owl. Javen was her father's business owl that the Ministry had supplied for him. He had used him for over ten years, but he still had not gotten the hang of delivering messages correctly. Reagan pulled the letter from the owl's leg and plopped him onto the table.   
  
"Is that Uncle Harry's Ministry owl?" Caitlin asked, leading over her plate.   
  
"Yes," Reagan growled as the owl flew off. She sighed and opened the letter.   
  
_ Reagan,   
  
Sorry for using Javen, but I wrote this at work. I didn't want to mention it to your mother because, well, I am afraid she'll get upset about it. But something weird happened yesterday after you left on the train.   
  
Your mother and I went home and ate dinner, but for some reason I was really tired, so I took a nap. When I fell asleep, I had a dream. I dreamt that I was on the Hogwarts Express and everyone on the train was was asleep. I was walking through the corridor and when I got to the front compartment there was a blond wizard sitting in there. He said something to me, though but I donÕt remember what. Then your friend, Josian, was there leading me through the train until she opened a door and we stepped into a hallway at Hogwarts. We were walking towards Gryffindor Tower when the staircase began to move. I grabbed hold of Josie's arm to steady her. I explained to her that the staircases moved. She smiled at me and said, "Thanks Mr. Potter."   
  
Reagan, I don't know what this means. I don't know if you know what this means, but if you have had any of the same dream, it could mean something. Reagan, I want you to be careful. We don't completely understand this Connection yet, though we have come a long way in the past three years, but there is still so much more that we don't know.   
  
Write me back and tell me what you think. I don't mean to frighten you sweetie, but sometimes dreams can be more than what they seem.   
  
Love from your father,  
  
Harry_   
  
"Reagan?" Josie asked. Reagan's face had gone white. She looked up from her letter into the gray eyes of her best friend.   
  
"I've got to go," Reagan whispered. She gathered her bag and ran out of the Great Hall.   
  
"Reagan, get a hold of yourself!" she hissed at herself once alone in the corridor._ Why am I freaking out? It was just a dream, _she thought. _Daddy and I have shared loads of dreams._   
  
"Reagan!" Darenn called as he ran to her. "Are you all right?" Reagan nodded and showed him the letter from their father.   
  
"I'm going to go talk to Uncle Remus," Reagan muttered and Darenn handed her the letter back.   
  
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.   
  
Reagan nodded. "Would you?"   
  
"Absolutely."   
_A/N: Forgive me if I don't update often. I'll try for once every three to four days, but with school work and this new war (my boyfriend is a Marine) I don't know how focused I will be. Thanks and please review!! ~Erica  
_


	5. Chapter 5: Professor Lockhart

  
  
**Chapter Five: Professor Lockhart**   
  
Disclaimer: If I made a list of the things that I owned compared to that of what J.K. Rowling owned, hers would be a lot longer. A whole lot longer.   
"Did you understand any of that?" Josie asked Reagan as they walked down the corridor after their Arithmancy class ended.   
  
"Sort of," Reagan replied. "I'll have to look over my notes again."   
  
Josie snorted. "You know sometimes I wonder if you and Caitlin were switched at birth. You remind me of your Aunt Hermione."   
  
"My mum was good in school," Reagan replied. "She was one of the top on her class. And my dad, well he could have been the top of his class if he didn't have Voldemort after him for seven years. But he did all right. Besides, I don't think who you parents are should determine how you do is school. If we went by that rule, then you should be in Slytherin."   
  
"Oh, please don't remind me," Josie retorted. "There's Cal." Cal was waiting at the base of the stairs for them.   
  
"Hello Cal," Reagan said. "How was Divination?"   
  
He shrugged. "Same as last year. She said that Joseph Miller is supposed to die this year. Though last year she predicted he would die and he didnÕt. He rolled his eyes when she announced it. She was standing in front of him and said that she had awoken from a dream. Something about seeing someone fall a great distance and seeing the letters JM and she looked at Joseph. He laughed out loud and Daniel Hall coughed something that sounded like 'phony.' The entire class laughed, it was very funny. Professor Brown didn't think so. She didn't take points off because Daniel blamed it on me. She was a Gryffindor and said she'd never take points off of her former house. Daniel is a Hufflepuff."   
  
"Joseph Miller?" Reagan asked. "The Hufflepuff Keeper?"   
  
"Yeah, he's supposed to get hit with a Quaffle at a Quidditch match," Cal explained. "I don't know, Professor Brown seems a little off."   
  
"I think my dad said he knew her," Reagan replied. "Do you want me to ask him if he knows is she's for real?"   
  
"Na," Cal replied. "She can't be too far off her rocker. Even after we laughed at her, she didn't give us any homework."   
  
Cal, Reagan and Josie sat down at the Gryffindor table, ready for lunch. They sat and ate quietly and quickly. Today was Wednesday and was their first day of Defense Against the Dark Arts, with Professor Lockhart. Reagan hurried her friends along, eager to get to the classroom.   
  
"What do you think he'll be like?" Josie asked, sitting down next to Cal. Reagan took a seat a row in front of them, next to Lane.   
  
"I don't know," Reagan replied. "It can't be much worse that the stories I heard about his father."   
  
"His father?" Cal asked.   
  
"Yeah, his father taught my parents and my uncles," Reagan replied.   
  
"My dad never mentioned him," Josie commented.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "I remember some story about Cornish pixies and how he had no idea what he was doing, _ever._"   
  
"Cornish Pixies?" Cal asked, his eye brows raising. Reagan nodded and turned toward the teacher as he began the class.   
  
"Good afternoon!" Professor Lockhart exclaimed and everyone in the room jumped. "My name is Gareth Lockhart. Now I'm sure some of you may recognize my last name from a story you were not doubt told by your parents. A tale about Cornish pixies comes to mind. However, let me assure you that the only thing I have in common with my father is blond hair and my last name. Unlike my father I am skilled in the dark arts. I have trained as an Auror and also as a medi-wizard. I have been on the field, usually reversing curses and tending to the injured." Professor Lockhart paused to take roll before he continued.   
  
"Caitlin Weasley?" he called.   
  
"Here, Professor," she called.   
  
"Ethan Weasley?"   
  
"Here."   
  
"My my, I have two Weasleys. Tell me now, Caitlin and Ethan who are your parents?" Professor Lockhart asked.   
  
"My parents are Percy and Penny Weasley," Ethan replied.   
  
"Mine are Ron and Hermione Weasley," Caitlin explained after her cousin. A slight murmur went through the classroom with the mention of Hermione Weasley. It was a common known fact that Caitlin's mum was the Minister of Magic.   
  
"Ah, and does anyone else have Weasley blood in them?" Professor Lockhart asked. Caitlin and Ethan looked at Reagan and she slowly raised her hand.   
  
"Ah, yes of course, Miss Potter."   
  
"My mum is Ginny Weasley," she replied.   
  
"Its remarkable," Professor Lockhart said. "Ethan and Caitlin look like Weasleys, but you don't."   
  
"I'm a Potter, not a Weasley," Reagan replied.   
  
"Yes of course," he said. "You do look more like your father than your mum." He turned back to the attendance list and Reagan sank into her seat. Somehow he had made her feel guilty because she didn't look like the rest of her family. Reagan, Darenn and James were the only non redheaded cousins in their family, well on the Weasley side. However, they had no control over that, it wasn't their fault they didn't have red hair.   
  
Professor Lockhart didn't comment on anyone else's family heritage and he finished up with the roll and put it away.   
  
"Now, I'm sure you are all curious about me. Here is a little back history for you. My father, as you may have guessed, was Gilderoy Lockhart. He in fact taught Defense Against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts from 1992 to 1993 before he tragically lost his memory in the spring of '93. He then lived in St. Mungo's and that is where he met my mother. She was one of his caretakers, and saw something in him that she liked. My mother was granted permission to move my father out of psychiatric care and into a secured location where she would take care of him. They married and soon I was along. They moved to the Colorado Rockies, and that is where I grew up.   
  
"My father died in an avalanche when I was five years old, and my mother then moved me back to England. He had always told me stories about all the things he had done, but he told them to me as if he knew them as bedtime stories, not the stories of his life. Once I could read, I read all of his books and learned about everything he claimed to have done. Both my mother and father had gone to Hogwarts so when it was my time, I too went. After Hogwarts, I returned to America and went to Stanford University of the Magical Arts and trained as a medi-wizard, specializing in war time medicine and curse reversal. After three years there, I returned to England and trained as an Auror, and for the past three years, I have served as an medical Auror, working mostly abroad where dark wizards pop up every now and then trying to take over the world." Professor Lockhart stopped and took a sip of his water. "Now does anyone have any questions?" Hands shot into the air.   
  
"Miss Perrot," Professor Lockhart said, calling on a dark haired Slytherin.   
  
"Have you written any books?"   
  
"As a matter of fact I have," he replied. "Though they haven't sold as well as my father's books did. I didn't make mine up though, and they're mostly medical journals and such. It is quite hard to get out of the shadow of a famous parent, though I doubt any of you have that problem." Reagan glanced at Caitlin who mouthed a "what?" at her and Reagan shrugged her shoulders. Reagan and Caitlin knew what it was like to live in the shadow of a famous parent, as did Lane, whose father was a retired Australian Quidditch player now the Australian Ambassador to the British Ministry of Magic.   
  
"Mr. Cameron," Professor Lockhart said.   
  
"What house where you in, while you were at Hogwarts?" Duncan asked.   
  
Lockhart smiled. "Well, lets see. I'm witty and smart, and quite brave as well. I am also very loyal, though I tend to be sneaky when I want to get what I want. So which house do you think the sorting hat put me in?" No one moved. Professor Lockhart smiled at everyone though no one had a clue.   
  
"Come now, certainly someone can at least guess?" he asked. "All right then, ten points to the House who figures it out, we'll make a competition out of this. Talk to your house mates and come up with an answer. Ask me questions, do what you can and what you need to to get the right answer."   
  
"This is hopeless," Lane said, turning towards Reagan. The two Gryffindors scooted closer to their house members.   
  
"Does anyone have any ideas?" Bolton Stumps asked.   
  
"Well, we have a one in four shot of getting it right," Hayden replied.   
  
"Lets look at what info we have," Reagan suggested.   
  
"Reagan, we don't have any," Caitlin replied. "Thats the problem."   
  
"Sure we do," Reagan said. "He said he was witty and smart, and quite brave, and also very loyal, though he tends to be sneaky."   
  
"That describes every House, Reagan," Lane replied.   
  
"He sounds a bit cocky," Josie commented.   
  
"We can ask him questions and find out other things," Reagan suggested.   
  
"What kind of questions?" Duncan asked.   
  
"Lets make a list," Josie said and pulled out a parchment.   
  
"Right," Reagan said. "How about was he a Prefect? Was he Head Boy?" Josie scribbled down the questions as she said them.   
  
"We can ask if he Quidditch played for his house team," Lane suggested.   
  
"Good," Reagan replied.   
  
"And if he did what position did he play?" Bolton said.   
  
"Oh, we can ask what his fave quidditch team is," Josie said as she wrote the questions down.   
  
"And what his favorite subject in school was," Cal suggested.   
  
"Look," Reagan said, reading the calculations on the parchment. She pushed it over to Caitlin and Ethan. "He went to school with Mackenzie." Mackenzie was their eldest cousin, their Uncle Charlie's daughter.   
  
"Really?" Ethan asked. "I wonder if he knew her."   
  
"We can ask," Caitlin suggested and Josie added it to the list.   
  
"Wait, that would mean that he would know Jordan as well," Ethan said. Jordan was their Uncle Charlie's son, and a seventh year. "Jordan would have been a first year when Professor Lockhart was a seventh."   
  
"Do we have enough questions?" Lane asked.   
  
"I think so," Josie said and got up. She went and talked to Professor Lockhart, writing his answers down on her parchment.   
  
"What was that bit about famous parents and no one else would know what it was like?" Lane asked Reagan.   
  
"I know, who would know better than us about living under the shadow of famous parents," Reagan replied.   
  
"And for you two its not just famous parents but siblings we well," Caitlin added. "Lane has Erika's shadow to live under and Reagan, well, Reagan has to deal with both James and Darenn's shadows."   
  
"Erika's isn't so bad," Lane replied. "She was just good a lot of stuff. She didn't play Quidditch and I do, so that got me out from underneath her. But Reagan, you all play Quidditch and you are all good at everything."   
  
"But I'm the only girl," Reagan replied. _And I have a magical connection with my father,_ she thought. "People didn't expect me to be like my brothers because I was the first girl in like three generations or something."   
  
"Thats true," Lane said. "But still, why would he think that we don't know what its like?" Reagan shrugged again, though she was curious about the answer.   
  
"All right, I'm back," Josie announced and sat down.   
  
"So?" Cal asked.   
  
"All right," Josie began. "He was a Prefect, and he was Head Boy. He also played for his house team and played Beater. He was also the captain in his sixth and seventh years, and he said that James was an excellent seeker. His favorite team is the Chudley Cannons, he knew Mackenzie, William, Philip, Cameron, James and Jordan. Goodness you lot have a lot of relatives. Anyway, his fave subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he said that he is happy to be back and teaching it."   
  
"Well, that doesn't tell us much," Duncan said.   
  
"It sort of does," Reagan said. "He said that James was an excellent seeker. Well, if he didn't play seeker himself then why else would he notice?" Her house mates stated at her with blank and confused expressions on his face. Reagan sighed and continued. "Professor Lockhart would have had to watch James play a lot to know if he was good or not. And if he was never up against him, seeker to seeker, then he would have had to coach him, like a captain does. Professor Lockhart said he was captain his sixth and seventh years, and James played seeker since his first year. James would have been a second year when Lockhart was a sixth year."   
  
"He also said he knew Mackenzie, Philip and William. When he was Head Boy, Mackenzie was a sixth year Prefect and Phil was a fifth year Prefect. He could have known William from the Quidditch team; Will played Chaser," Ethan commented.   
  
"Yeah, and if he was in the same house as them, he would have known Cameron and Jordan, even if they were a lot younger than he was," Caitlin explained. "I think he was in Gryffindor."   
  
"We need more proof," Reagan said, shaking her head. "I'm going to see if I can find out any thing else." She got up and walked over to her teacher.   
  
"Ah, Miss Potter," he greeted her. "I'm glad to see you're on your feet and not fainting at the sight of me."   
  
"Sorry 'bout that, Professor," she apologized. "It won't happen again."   
  
"No need for apologies, Miss Potter. Under the same circumstances, I would have fainted too."   
  
"I was wondering if I could ask you some more questions, about what house you were in?"   
  
"Absolutely."   
  
"Who was the Head of your house when you were at school?" she asked.   
  
"Ah, Miss Potter, I cannot answer that. Don't ask me specific things that would directly tell you what house I was in. Ask me questions that will serve as _clues,_" Professor Lockhart said.   
  
Then something clicked in Reagan's head. Clues, he meant this as some sort of riddle. They had to think logically to figure it out.   
  
"All right," she replied and paused, thinking quickly. "How many times did your house win the Quidditch Cup while you were at Hogwarts?"   
  
"Four," he replied. "Once when I was a first year, then again when I joined the team. I played for three years and was captain for two of them."   
  
"Who did you take to the Holiday Balls?" Reagan asked.   
  
Professor Lockhart smiled. "My fourth year I took a girl from Ravenclaw, my fifth year I took a girl from Hufflepuff, and my sixth and seventh years I took your cousin, Mackenzie."   
  
"So did you have a lot of classes with her?" Reagan asked.   
  
"A few," Lockhart replied.   
  
"Hmm," Reagan replied. "I don't ever remember her mentioning you."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Yeah," Reagan replied. "Mackenzie would come home in the summer and tell us all stories about being at Hogwarts. I think that seeing you and hearing your name wouldn't have been as much of a shock if I had heard of you before. I'd heard stories about your father, but never about you."   
  
"Thats peculiar," Lockhart replied and rubbed his chin. "I was quite good friends with her."   
  
"Really? I remember one time she told me a story about Professor Snape walking into the Great Hall and his robes had been charmed to sparkle red and gold. That was back when he was still teaching, and she had said she thought it was the funniest thing. I hear he retired the next year."   
  
"I do remember that," Professor Lockhart replied, grinning from ear to ear. "And I will proudly say that I was guilty of that act. I never did like Snape much and he never thought much of me either. Mackenzie was the only one how knew it was me of course, she was so afraid that I would loose points for our House and..." Professor Lockhart stopped and looked at Reagan. "Her House, of course, I meant..."   
  
Reagan grinned. "You should be more careful about letting your guard down, Professor." Lockhart gaped at her. Smiling, Reagan turned on her heal and walked back to her house mates.   
  
"So?" Cal asked.   
  
"He was in Gryffindor," Reagan replied.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
"Does anyone have a guess?" Professor Lockhart asked, thirty minutes later. Reagan's hand shot in the air, along with the other nine Gryffindors.   
  
"All right, anyone from Slytherin?" he asked, realizing that the Gryffindor house must have figured it out. "Ah, Mr. Stone."   
  
A tall Slytherin stood up. "Were you in Gryffindor, sir?"   
  
"Yes," Lockhart replied. "Congratulations to both houses as I know that Gryffindor house figured it out as well. So, now should I give each house ten points, or should I not award any points? Either way you'll be even."   
  
"I think you should give us points, sir," Ethan replied. "That way we at least earned some points."   
  
"Mr. Weasley makes an excellent point. Ten points to Gryffindor and ten to Slytherin. Now, if you please, I have a few notes for you all to take down." The students moved around, taking our parchment and quills, ready to take notes.   
  
Professor Lockhart lectured for the rest of the class period. He talked lengthy about fighting dark magic without the use of a wand, but with the use of your head and your logic. As class ended and everyone filed out of the room, he pulled Reagan aside.   
  
"Good job today in class, Miss Potter," he said to her.   
  
"Thank you Professor," she replied.   
  
"You were right, I did let my guard down for a split second and you found out the information that you needed. Did you ever consider being an Auror?"   
  
"The thought had crossed my mind, yes."   
  
"Well, you'd make a good one. You could also look into a career as an Unspeakable."   
  
Reagan scoffed. "I don't think that my father would enjoy that. He'd think it was much to dangerous."   
  
"Your father, yes, he is a great man," Lockhart said. "It was an honor to meet him and know him and even a greater honor to serve under him. I think I'll write to him and inform him of how well you did today."   
  
"Thank you Professor," she replied. "Though I am a bit confused. All I did was ask you a question. You're the one who let your guard down. So it was really your doing that I found out what house you were in."   
  
"True," he said. "But you got me talking and asked the right questions. You made me want to prove to you that I knew Mackenzie and that changed my focus. It is a good technique that is hard to teach."   
  
"Well, thank you Professor," Reagan replied and turned to leave. "I'll see you at diner."   
_A/N: All right, so not much of a cliff at all, which is a nice change of pace. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to asked, and I'm still looking for anyone interested in illustrating this or "Secrets that Were Kept." Leave me a message in the review box, or just e-mail me. My address is on my author page. Read and review please. (I'm always afraid that if I don't put that then people won't do it.) ~EE_  
  



	6. Chapter 6: When a Rumor Runs Wild

  
  
  
**Chapter Six: When a Rumor Runs Wild**   
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I am learning to type without looking at the keys. Thats my biggest accomplishment thus far.   
  
Author Note: So hello everyone. I just wanted to thank everyone for reviewing. It really is nice to read what you all think. And for those of you who read and DON'T review, well you may meet your death sooner than you planned, but who am I to judge, I'm not Trelawney. So you could believe me or not, but I would review if I were you...... _   
  
  
The next week started off to be normal and uneventful. Reagan and Josie were busy with Quidditch practice; Darenn was determined to work them to the bone. Wednesday morning at breakfast, Reagan and Josie were dragging their feet. Darenn had gotten them up at six in the morning for a six thirty practice. After an hour and a half on the Quidditch pitch, Reagan and Josie had to race back to Gryffindor Tower, shower, get ready for classes and hurry to catch the last ten minutes of breakfast. Reagan hated early morning practices, but she did like how they made her very awake for her Transfiguration lesson.   
  
Professor Lupin had them reading chapter after chapter about Animagi and Cross-Species Switching Spells. He promised that within a week or so they would be able to actually practice the Species Switching spell on small animals, but they had to learn the theory of it first. However, it was boring them to death.   
  
"I don't like Wednesdays," Cal announced as the three left Transfiguration. "Its the boring day of our week."   
  
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts after lunch," Reagan said positively.   
  
"But its a double," Cal replied.   
  
"And its with Slytherin," Josie added.   
  
"It would be fine without the Slytherins and the double. Its too long," Cal finished. Reagan shrugged and turned with Josie towards the West Tower for Arithmancy, Cal hurried off to make it to Divination.   
  
"Cal's right about Wednesdays," Josie said as they sat down in the warm and bright Arithmancy room. "Early morning Quidditch practice, followed by three boring classes in a row, and Astronomy at midnight; it makes Wednesdays horrible. And they're in the middle of the week. It just brings down the entire week."   
  
Reagan laughed at her friend. "Lets see, something good on Wednesdays... lunch and dinner, we have those to look forward to. And also sleep and study time. With no Quidditch practice we can take a nap between Defense Against the Dark Arts, and dinner, and then again between dinner and Astronomy."   
  
"Sleep sounds good," Josie said, propping her head in her hand. Reagan shook her head and took out parchment and a quill, ready to take notes. She glanced at her parchment, quickly reading over her notes from their last class period. She was good at Arithmancy, fact she was good at a lot of things. But being good at things brought unwanted attention to her. Reagan had talked to her brother about this, and he had laughed at her.   
  
"Reagan, your a Potter," he had kindly explained. "Unwanted attention comes with the name. Dad had it at school because he was _the_ Harry Potter. James had it because he was the first born and good at, well, everything. I have it because I'm good at Quidditch, and you're like James. You're good at everything. They should put Potter in the dictionary, with the definition of 'unwanted attention'."   
  
Reagan knew her brother was right. She was good at everything. Everything came extremely naturally to her and she was one of the top students in her year. She always felt competition from Caitlin and Ethan, mainly because they all had Weasley blood in them, and it was a family thing to do well in school. The lessons came easy to Reagan and she was even asked to help some of the younger students.   
  
"Darenn," Reagan had asked. "Do you think my being good at everything has anything to do with the Connection?"   
  
Darenn had thought for a moment. "No, I don't. I mean, James was good at everything and he didn't have a Connection or anything. You're probably good for the same reasons we're all good. We have Potter and Weasley blood in us. And we learned what happens when you mix two old and powerful bloodlines. Remember Kelsey Potter? You get very powerful offspring. James is amazing at Transfiguration and Charms, I mean come on, he became an Animagus while still is school. I could probably do better in my studies, but I like Quidditch more. And you, well you're something Reagan. You seem to take after James more than me."   
  
Reagan was glad to hear that her brother didn't think her magical power had anything to do with her Connection. It also flattered her that she thought she was like James. She looked up to both her brothers, but to be compared to one of them as an equal was a very hearty compliment.   
  
"Reagan," Josie said and Reagan snapped out of her thoughts. Reagan looked up and saw Josie standing up, her bag slung over her shoulder.   
  
"Is it time to go?" Reagan asked. She had vaguely been paying attention, but she didn't realize how the time had flown by.   
  
"Yeah, the rest of the class has already left," Josie replied. "Are you all right?"   
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Reagan replied as she packed her bag, noticing that she had in fact taken notes during the class period. She just didn't _remember_ doing it.   
  
"You look a little dazed," Josie commented.   
  
Reagan paused as she stood up. She was dazed, and a bit confused, and she had a hunch that it had something to do with the Connection. _Should I mention it?_ Reagan thought. _Its an opportune time, tell her everything, explain it all to her. _   
  
"No, I'm fine," Reagan replied and followed her friend out the door. The two girls fell into the mob of people on their way to lunch.   
  
"Reagan, please don't loose me!" Josie whispered from behind her. Reagan smiled and nodded at her, knowing she would never do such a thing. She felt her friend grab onto her bag and Reagan lead their way towards the stairs. The crowd moved slowly, making it hard for anyone to move at all. Someone behind them mooed and everyone laughed. Another student thought it would be entertaining to start a pushing the students in front of them, and soon many students took up this new game as well.   
  
"Come on now!" Reagan heard her brother's voice. She saw Darenn push his way towards her section of the crowd.   
  
"Arden Lumbard!" Darenn cried, stopping beside his sister. He pulled a dark haired Slytherin from behind her.   
  
"I didnÕt do it!" the boy cried.   
  
"Ten points from Slytherin," Darenn said to him. "And if anyone else thinks its funny to push students in the corridor, they might want to think of a way of earning back the house points that WILL be taken from them!" Darenn glared at the crowd, turned and walked the other way.   
  
"Wow, your brother is tough," Josie giggled to Reagan. Arden Lumbard, the dark haired Slytherin, heard her and turned towards Reagan.   
  
"Potter is your brother?" he sneered.   
  
Reagan nodded her head, feeling brave. "His name is Darenn."   
  
"So that makes you Reagan Potter," Arden said. A few people turned and looked at her.   
  
"What does it matter?" she asked.   
  
"I'd watch it, little Potter," Arden said. "Your brother won't always be here to protect you."   
  
"I don't need my brother to protect me," Reagan told him. "I can take care of myself."   
  
"Don't be so sure of yourself," Arden sneered. "You're only a third year. Your knowledge of magic is two years behind mine."   
  
"I'm a _fourth_ year, and most likely know more about magic than you do. So don't be so sure of _your_self," Reagan said to him. "And don't underestimate me."   
  
"Arden!" a boy cried, coming up to him. It was Trevor Daniels. "Drop it!"   
  
"Why should I?" Arden challenged. "She's just a Gryffindor!"   
  
"I said to drop it!" Trevor said again. "Don't think I won't take points away from my own house."   
  
"A true Slytherin wouldn't stand up for a Gryffindor, Trevor!" Arden spat at him.   
  
"A true Slytherin wouldn't go looking for _and _making trouble. A true Slytherin wouldn't give a Gryffindor reason to take points away from them," Trevor spat back.   
  
"Its Potter's sister," Arden said.   
  
"Yeah, its Darenn Potter's sister. Meaning she's Reagan Potter. And if that isn't enough for you, then you need to be reminded that she's also Harry Potter's daughter," Trevor said.   
  
Arden glared at at Trevor. "You should not have been made a Prefect."   
  
"Maybe not. But I am one," Trevor retorted. "And don't think I'll take points away from my own house."   
  
Arden glared again but dropped the argument. He pushed his way up the stairs and out of sight.   
  
Turning to Reagan, Trevor said, "Be careful who you stand up to. You may be a Potter, but not everyone here respects that name."   
  
"I know," Reagan said. "But thanks anyway."   
  
"No problem," Trevor said.   
  
"Why do you?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Excuse me?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Why do you respect the Potter name?"   
  
Trevor shrugged. "I have no reason not to."   
  
Reagan nodded and Josie pulled her towards the stairs, away from Trevor. They both ran down the stairs and met Cal in the front hall. On the way to lunch, they quickly told him what had just happened.   
  
"Brilliant!" he exclaimed as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "I wish I could have been there!"   
  
"It really wasn't all that interesting," Reagan replied and took a sip of her soup.   
  
"Hey Reagan," Lane called and sat down next to her. "Awesome job back there."   
  
"Thanks," Reagan replied, a bit shyly. "I didn't really do anything." But Lane didn't seem to hear her.   
  
"Reagan!" Caitlin squealed and ran over to her, with Nick Fitch-Fletchley behind her. "Nicky just old me what happened! I can't believe you said that to that Slytherin!"   
  
"Said what?" Reagan asked. "I didn't really say anything extraordinary."   
  
"Way to go," Ethan said from down the table. "I heard the fight was awesome!"   
  
"What fight?" Reagan asked, confused   
  
Apparently her little run in with Arden had made it around the school. For the rest of the day, and onto the next, random people were coming up to her, congratulating her. Some asked who threw the first punch, others asked where she had learned curses like that. Reagan tried explaining to everyone that there had been no punches, no curses and no fight, but no one would hear of it. People stopping her in the halls made her late to classes, and even earned her detention in Potions. Friday, things had quieted down a bit, but only a bit. Exhausted from Quidditch practice the night before, Reagan huddled between Cal and Josie, and tried to get to Transfiguration without any run ins with congratulators. They made it, though it was a close call, and sat down quickly in their seats.   
  
"Ah, Miss Potter," Professor Lupin said to her as he came into the room.   
  
"Hello Professor," she replied.   
  
"Miss Potter, I'd like to have a word with you, after class if you don't mind," he said sternly, the twinkle gone from his eyes. Reagan nodded and sank in her seat.   
  
The entire lesson she was distant and didn't participate in the discussions, even though she knew the answers. As class ended, Reagan slowly put her parchment back into her bag and slung it over her shoulder.   
  
"We'll save you a seat at lunch," Josie said to her as she and Call left the room. Reagan nodded and walked to her uncle's desk.   
  
"You wanted to see me, Professor," Reagan said and Professor Lupin looked up.   
  
"Ah, yes," he replied. "Lately I've been hearing the strangest things in that halls. Now I don't want to remind you that fighting in the halls is not permitted, and the punishment is detention, and..."   
  
"But Professor, I didn't get into a fight!" Reagan cried. "Arden Lumbard was pushing people and Darenn came and stopped him and then Arden was taunting me because I'm a Potter but I didn't hit him and he didn't hit me even though I do know how to throw a punch, I grew up with Darenn and James for Merlin's sake but then Trevor came and made him stop and that was it. Then I went to lunch and this whole thing got blown out of proportion." Reagan stopped and breathed and slumped into the nearest chair.   
  
"Reagan, I never thought you got into a fight," Professor Lupin chuckled. "The thought of you swinging at Arden Lumbard is quite humorous and I find it amazing that anyone actually believes that story."   
  
"You do?" Reagan asked and sighed. "I was afraid that you were actually going to give me detention for it."   
  
"Well, I am," he continued. "Professor McGonagall got wind of the incident and insisted that something be done. So you and Arden are to get detention because the students think you got into a fight."   
  
"But Professor!" she cried. "Thats not fair. I didn't do anything!"   
  
"Reagan, if you'd let me finish!" he exclaimed. "Now, you have to have detention, though you're not loosing points. You are to serve your detention with me, tomorrow from two to five o'clock, meet me in here."   
  
Reagan sighed. "Yes sir."   
  
"Oh cheer up, Reagan," he said to her, the twinkle returning to his eyes. "Remember that thing we started last semester?"   
  
Reagan perked up. "Yeah."   
  
"Well, there is a place in the Forbidden Forest where we can practice. Your grandfather and Sirius used to go there to practice. Thats how you will serve your detention."   
  
"Really?" Reagan asked, her eyes lighting up. "You mean I can try some more?"   
  
"Yes of course," he replied. "You almost had it before. Three hours tomorrow and maybe another scheduled detention after that and you'll have it. We might even be able to get it before the next full moon."   
  
"And then I can go with you?" she asked.   
  
"Well, Harry or James might have to go with us the first time, but after that, probably. I'm sure your father won't want to keep Apparating to Hogsmeade and walking up here every month. James is too busy to do it anymore."   
  
"Oh thank you!" she cried. Jumping up, she threw her arms around her uncle and hugged him. He laughed and hugged her back.   
  
"But first, you need to go to lunch. Pay attention in Charms today to make up for your tardiness. And don't exhaust yourself during Quidditch practice tomorrow morning."   
  
"I won't," she replied.   
  
"Off to lunch with you, and I'll see you tomorrow, two o'clock, right here." Professor Lupin pointed straight down at his desk.   
  
"All right," she replied and left the classroom in a much better mood. She didn't even notice the group of first years gawking at her as she passed them in the hall.   
  
"Well, you seem in a better mood," Josie observed as Reagan sat down.   
  
"I got detention for _not_ fighting with Arden in the hall," Reagan replied. "Tomorrow at two."   
  
"And that made you happy?" Cal asked. Reagan shrugged and dished some roast beef onto her plate.   
  
"Reagan, look!" Josie exclaimed and pointed towards the ceiling. Four extremely large owls had just entered the Great Hall, two owls to each large and long package.   
  
"I wonder who those are for," Reagan said. She glanced around and everyone in the Great Hall was watching the owls, waiting to see who they went to. Reagan watched as they flew straight down the Gryffindor table, one landing in front of Darenn and the second in front of her.   
  
Reagan stared at the package with wide eyes.   
  
"Darenn?" she said and looked at her brother. Darenn was staring at his package with the same expression as his sister and glanced up at her.   
  
"Well, open it," Josie insisted. Slowly she and Darenn began to tear off the brown paper wrapping.   
  
"Its a broom," Reagan whispered as the paper came off. "Its one of the those Nimbus 4000's we saw in Diagon Alley."   
  
"Here's the card," Cal said, handing her a white envelope from beneath the wrapping.   
  
_ Reagan,  
Have a great season, and beat Slytherin to a pulp!  
Love,  
Daddy  
_   
  
"They're from Dad," Darenn said as he read his card.   
  
"I can't believe he bought you one," Josie commented. A small crowd had gathered around Reagan and Darenn and everyone was ogling at the two exquisite brooms.   
  
"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Reagan replied. She ran her hand along the smooth handle and traced the word 'Nimbus' with her finger.   
  
"Oh no!" Cal cried. "We have Charms next!"   
  
"We can take it out afterwards!" Josie exclaimed. Reagan nodded and picked up the broom. It was light and yet it felt strong.   
  
"Lets take it up to Gryffindor Tower," Reagan said. "I don't want anything to happen to it."   
  
Josie and Cal agreed. Darenn and Paul came with them, carrying Darenn's new broom very delicately. Reagan placed her broom on her bed and stared at it for a brief moment.   
  
She turned towards her book bag, pulled out some parchment and wrote a thank you letter to her father, stating that he out did himself, yet again.   
  
  
_ A/N: I like this chapter. I'm the author, I can be biased. ~EE  
_


	7. Chapter 7: Practice Make Perfect

  
  
**Chapter Seven: Practice Makes Perfect**   
_ Disclaimer: I don't own any thing, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling._   
  
  
"Reagan, catch!" Lane called. Reagan turned and caught the maroon Quaffle being tossed at her. She caught it expertly and passed it to Logan. Darenn insisted on having Quidditch practice early, _very_ early. He had roused them at 6:30 for practice. Reagan and Josie dragged themselves to the Quidditch pitch, grumbling about practice on a Saturday morning. Darenn had talked the house elves into an early breakfast for his team, and they were greeted with donuts and juice. They all ate quickly as the sun rose, though Reagan knew that if the sun wasn't up yet, Darenn would have conjured light from somewhere for them to play in. Reagan sighed and glanced in her brother's direction. Darenn lived and breathed Quidditch. He yelled for them to finish up and do some practice laps to warm up.   
  
"Didn't you mother ever tell you that if you exercise right after you eat, you'll make yourself sick?" Reagan asked her brother as she mounted her broom.   
  
Darenn grinned. "Yes as a matter of fact she did. But I'm put an Anti-Nausea Serum in the orange juice."   
  
"Figures," Reagan muttered, kicking off into the air. She did her warm up laps, flying beside Josie. Reagan's new broom flew magnificently. She barely had to touch it for it to do what she wanted, and it was a steady as her old broom, even if it was lighter.   
  
"All right!" Darenn yelled and everyone haulted in mid air. "Josie, take that practice snitch and set it on expert. Chase it till you catch it in five minutes! Denley, you and I will start over here, lets hit those Chasers off their brooms. Chasers, take your best shots at the Keeper, I want to see what you've got! And Paul, don't let a single Quaffle get past you!"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and aimed her broom towards the other end of the pitch where her cousin Paul Weasley was playing Keeper. Lane was in front of her and Logan trailed her. Darenn had charmed each Quaffle to return to the middle of the pitch after Paul caught them or they after fell though the hoop. There the Chasers retrieved them and took their best shots at the redhead. Meanwhile, Darenn and Denley Thompson, a seventh year Beater, pelted the Bludgers at the Chasers. In the middle of all of this, Josie frantically chased the little golden practice Snitch around the Quidditch pitch until she caught it, and then she released it again.   
  
It was chaos in its purest form. Darenn had come up with this bizarre training method over summer break the year before last and it seemed to work them well.   
  
Logan plucked a Quaffle from where it hung mid air in the middle of the pitch and tossed it to Reagan. She threw it at Paul, who caught it effortlessly.   
  
"Get better, Reagan," she muttered to herself. She turned and took a Quaffle and threw it to Lane. Reagan hovered in mid air for a moment, watching as Lane threw the Quaffle at Paul, and he caught it was well.   
  
"Reagan, catch!" Logan called at her. She turned and caught the Quaffle and flew towards Paul. She threw it at the hoop on the far left. Paul swerved to miss a Bludger and caught it in his turn. Reagan's next time around she still didn't get it passed him, though neither had Lane or Logan. It took Reagan till her fifth time around to get the Quaffle past her cousin and she heard Darenn hoot from his position midfield.   
  
"Thats more like it!" Darenn called. Reagan got each of her next attempts past the Keeper, while Lane and Logan had still gotten none through.   
  
After twenty minutes of nonstop passes, Darenn called the Chasers into the center of the pitch.   
  
"Paul, what's the problem?" Darenn asked his redheaded cousin.   
  
"There isn't a problem," Paul stated.   
  
"Yes there is, you're not catching Reagan's passes," Darenn pointed out.   
  
"Yeah, well... she's good," Paul explained.   
  
"Bull," Darenn replied. "She may be good, but so are Lane and Logan or else they wouldn't be here."   
  
"Well, I dunno, its Reagan," Paul answered. "Once she got that first one through I couldn't concentrate on catching them. I was just expecting her to get it though."   
  
"Ah-ha," Darenn said. "So you're saying Reagan psyched you out when she made that first shot?"   
  
"Well, I guess so," Paul replied.   
  
Darenn turned to his sister. "Reagan, congratulations."   
  
"For what?" Reagan asked.   
  
"For psyching out the Keeper. If you can do that to every Keeper we play this year, no one will be able to catch a thing you throw in." Darenn was smiling at her like she as a newly discovered secret weapon. "If Lane and Logan can learn how to do that, then we will be unstoppable."   
  
"Learn how to do what?" Reagan asked. "I never learned how to psych out a Keeper."   
  
"And that is the beauty of it!" Darenn exclaimed. "Paul why did she psych you out? Why did you think you couldn't catch any of her passes?"   
  
Paul shrugged. "Because its Reagan. I mean, I guess if Lane or Logan had gotten one in, then it would have had the same effect."   
  
"Its a self fulfilling prophecy," Darenn replied. "You didn't think you could catch it so that thought influenced your reactions and made you not catch it. You thought it was going to happen so in a way you made it happen. If you can think that you'll catch them, then you will."   
  
"I don't know," Paul said. "Reagan's just... intimidating."   
  
Reagan laughed out loud. "Me? Intimidating? Paul, you've known me since I was born. I'm five foot three and two years younger than you. How intimidating can I honestly be?"   
  
"Well I don't know..." Paul trailed off. "You're a Potter."   
  
"Well, take Logan for instance," Reagan said. "He's a Wood. His father in an international Quidditch star. Shouldn't that freak you out a bit?" Paul shrugged and looked at the ground.   
  
"What about Lane?" Reagan continued. "Her father played for Australia. Shouldn't that freak you out as well?"   
  
"Reagan, I don't know!" Paul cried.   
  
"Paulie, she has a point there," Darenn said. "She is the only one with out Professional Quidditch player in her blood."   
  
"I know she is," Paul said. "But when Lane and Logan are throwing the Quaffle, I don't think about their bloodlines."   
  
"But you do when Reagan throws?" Darenn asked.   
  
"I guess I do."   
  
"All right," Darenn said. "I want you all back up there. This time, Paul, don't think about Reagan's bloodline." Paul nodded and kicked off the ground.   
  
"Darenn," Reagan asked before returning to the air. "Why did you congratulate me when I made a shot, but now you want me to miss them?"   
  
"Because I know you can make the shots. Paulie's got to get past his issues with people's family names if he's going to do well this year," Darenn explained. Reagan nodded and returned to her place in line. The next shot she made at Paul he missed, but he caught the one after that.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~   
It was a good thing that Darenn had fed them before practice, because they barely made it to the end of breakfast in the Great Hall. Reagan and Josie came in with eight minutes left, and dished themselves heaping plates of pancakes.   
  
"How was practice?" Cal asked.   
  
"Exhausting," Reagan replied. Josie nodded her agreement and drank some juice.   
  
"When is your detention?" Josie asked Reagan.   
  
"Not until two," Reagan replied.   
  
"What are we going to do till then?" Josie asked.   
  
"I have some reading I want to finish," Reagan said.   
  
"I have homework too," Cal added.   
  
Josie shook her head. "Leave it to you two to want to do homework on a Saturday."   
  
The trio finished their breakfast quickly and headed back up to Gryffindor Tower. Reagan pulled out _A Guide to Transfiguration, Year Seven ,_ a book that James had leant her, and went to sit in the common room. She sat down on a crimson sofa and flipped through it. She began to reread what she had already read fifteen times.   
  
"How many times are you going to read that book?" Josie asked her, sitting down beside her. "You read it last term also."   
  
"Its interesting," Reagan replied, not looking up from the text.   
  
"I'm sure," Josie said. Reagan rolled her eyes and continued to read. However, it was not interesting. Reagan had read it enough times to be able to recite some of it. It was difficult, and it amazed her that she was able to understand a text book three years above her.   
  
Reagan read in peace for the next hour or so. Cal was bent over his Muggle Studies paper, and Josie was working on her Arithmancy, looking back and forth between her own notes, the book and Reagan's homework. Reagan smiled, knowing that Josie would never directly copy her homework. Josie could do it herself, and if she couldn't then she would figure it out herself.   
  
Reagan got up silently and went to put her book away in her dormitory. She sat down on her bed, running what she had just read and what she had already learned through her head.   
  
A knock on the door brought Reagan out of her mind and she looked up to see Darenn standing in her doorway.   
  
"Hey," he said and walked over to her bed.   
  
"Hi," she said and moved over for him to sit down.   
  
"I heard about your, um, _detention _with Professor Lupin this afternoon" Darenn said.   
  
"Yeah, its at two, after lunch," she replied.   
  
Darenn nodded. "Good luck."   
  
"Thanks," Reagan said, smiling at her brother. He smiled back and got up to leave.   
  
"How come you never wanted to do it?" Reagan asked her brother. He turned around to face her and shrugged.   
  
"It was never my thing," he replied. "You and James, well that's what you guys do. Push the limit, see how much you can accomplish and see how great you can be. Besides, I like Quidditch too much."   
  
"But couldn't you do both?" Reagan asked.   
  
"I could have, but I would only be good at both things," Darenn paused. "I'd rather be great at one thing."   
  
"And you're great at Quidditch," Reagan said.   
  
"Thanks," he replied. "I always liked Quidditch over transfiguration and charms and dueling and potions and all that other magical stuff. Its in my blood to be awesome at all of that, and I'm good, but I've always liked flying best."   
  
"I know what you mean," Reagan said. "I guess it makes sense if you put it that way."   
  
"I always thought so," her brother answered. He smiled and left her room, leaving her alone on her bed.   
  
Reagan thought about what her brother had said and dozed off after while. Josie came and woke her for lunch and she went off to eat with her friends. She ate quickly and quietly, finishing when she saw Professor Lupin rise to leave. At five till two, she stood outside his classroom, anxious and excited.   
  
"Miss Potter!" a cheery voice came. Reagan turned around to see Professor Lockhart coming down the hallway.   
  
"Hello Professor," Reagan said.   
  
"Well what are you doing standing here in the hall way?" he asked. Puzzled, he glanced at the door, but there was nothing spectacular to stare at.   
  
"I have detention with Professor Lupin," she replied.   
  
"Of course, of course," Professor Lockhart said. "I hear you and Mr. Lumbard had quite the run in this past week. Though I don't see any bruises. Growing up with two brothers must have taught you to defend yourself well!"   
  
"Well no Professor, I mean yes it did, I can defend myself but you see, Arden and I..."   
  
"There is no need for an explanation, Miss Potter," he said, holding up his hand to hush her. "Sometimes tempers can run wild and things can get out of hand."   
  
"But Professor, we didn't..."   
  
"Here you are," Professor Lupin said, poking his head out of the doorway. "I was beginning to wonder where you were. I thought I heard voices. Good afternoon, Gareth."   
  
"Good afternoon, Professor Lupin!" Professor Lockhart said. "I didn't mean to keep Miss Potter, but I was just reinstating the no fighting rule we have here."   
  
"Well, Miss Potter understands the rule, and that is why she is here serving her detention. Miss Potter, if you please," Professor said and stood aside, motioning for her to enter the classroom. She smiled at Professor Lockhart and said a small 'goodbye,' and entered the room. Professor Lupin said a few more things to Professor Lockhart before joining her in the empty classroom.   
  
"So, are you ready?" her uncle asked her.   
  
"Yes," she replied. "I reread the chapters in James' old transfiguration book."   
  
"Good, good," Professor Lupin said and rummaged around on his desk.   
  
"Professor," Reagan said. "Can I help you find any..."   
  
"Ah ha!" he cried and Reagan jumped. He produced his wand from under the rubble and shook his head at it. "Finally found it!"   
  
"Your wand?"   
  
"Yes, its been under these papers all morning long. I don't need my wand to grade sixth year essays, just a quill really, and I knew it was under there somewhere."   
  
"Glad you found it," Reagan said to him.   
  
"Well, shall we journey outside?" he asked and Reagan nodded. She followed him out of the castle and across the grounds. They passed the groundkeeper's hut and Professor Lupin waved at him. He was an elderly man, about as tall as her father, with a head full of gray hair and a mouth full of jagged teeth.   
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Guzman!" Professor Lupin said to him and stopped. Reagan kept close to her uncle; Mr. Guzman gave her the creeps.   
  
"And to you, Lupin," he man replied. His voice was husky and hoarse, and sounded like he didn't use it much. Reagan had always been afraid of him. Her father tried to tell her that he was a very nice man, but she wouldnÕt hear of it. Mr. Guzman hadn't been the gamekeeper her while her father had been in school, though he was there when James began school.   
  
"Seen anything weird in the forest lately?" Professor Lupin asked.   
  
"Nope, its been quiet," Mr. Guzman replied. "You going in?"   
  
"Yes, Miss Potter is serving detention with me today," Professor Lupin replied. "Watch out for wandering students today, with such a nice day as this, I suspect that some students will try and sneak in."   
  
"I'll watch, I always do," the elderly man replied.   
  
"Good day to you," Professor Lupin said and started walking again. Reagan followed closely in his footsteps, and willed herself not to look back at the elderly man.   
  
She followed her uncle silently for ten minutes or so. The forest got darker and thicker the farther they went and Reagan was beginning to wonder if there really was a place to practice. There didn't seem to be enough room or enough light.   
  
"Almost there, Reagan," Professor Lupin said to her and she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. Sure enough, within a couple minutes, the forest walls parted and they walked into a brightly lit clearing. A soft stream ran along the side and the grass was moist and soft.   
  
"Your grandfather and Sirius found this place when they needed a place to practice. It works well, no one can hear or see you from the outer perimeter, and its quite safe from the dangers in the woods."   
  
"Its nice," Reagan replied, looking around.   
  
"Now I don't want you coming out here alone, Reagan," Professor Lupin said, turning to her. "I know the safe way through and its easy to get lost if you don't know your way. Promise me you won't come out with out me?"   
  
"I promise," Reagan said, though inside she was crossing her fingers.   
  
"Right," Professor Lupin said and straightened. He muttered a few words and a blanket appeared on the ground followed by some books and a picnic basket.   
  
"I know you've already eaten," he began, "though this process is tiring, so you'll need some nourishment after we finish for the day." Professor Lupin took a seat on the blanket and handed her a book.   
  
"I've read this one," she said. "It was quite boring, mostly about the theory and origin."   
  
"Good, good," he replied and handed her another.   
  
"This one gave very detailed and graphic information about what happens when it goes wrong. Some couldn't change back, some ended up being half and half." Professor Lupin nodded and handed her another book. He went through an entire stack of books, handing each one to her, quizing her on what she knew and had learned from them.   
  
He handed her a tatered brown leather bound book, and she took it from him, delicatly.   
  
"This is the diary of all the students at Hogwarts who have done it while still in school. Professor McGonagall is in here, as well as my grandfather, my father, James and Erika."   
  
"Very good," he replied and stood up. "I'm glad you remember what you read, and you have read up on this extensively."   
  
"I've tried to Professor," she replied.   
  
"All right," he said and picked up a rock. "Lets warm up a little." He handed the rock to her and she waved her wand, turning it into a Labrador puppy. With a wave of his wand, Professor Lupin changed it back into a rock. He then moved to the basket and pulled out Eclipse.   
  
"She's always such a sport," Professor Lupin said and handed the cat to her.   
  
"I'm quite sorry about this," Reagan whispered to her pet. Reagan waved her wand and her cat turned into a full sized labrador. The dog looked around for a moment before Professor Lupin changed her back. Eclipse shook her black fur and stepped onto the blanket, shooting Reagan a glare.   
  
"I said I was sorry," Reagan pleaded with her cat. Eclipse curled up on the blanket in a spot warmed by the sun and closed her eyes.   
  
Reagan sighed. "Well, at least she was all dog that time. There have been others were she wouldnÕt look at me for weeks."   
  
Professor Lupin chuckled. "Think you can try it without a wand?"   
  
Reagan nodded and handed her wand to her uncle. She looked at her cat sleeping in the sun and said the incantation. Again, Eclipse turned from a sleek furred feline to a dark haired canine.   
  
"Excellent!" Professor Lupin cried. He waved his wand and she changed back into a cat.   
  
"Do you want to try it now?" he asked, looking at Reagan. She looked at her uncle and nodded. He stepped back a few paces and set her wand in the basket.   
  
Reagan sighed, trying to calm her breathing. Until she got better and more comfortable with it, she had to concentrate very hard on what she was trying to do. Her father had described it as imagining it happening and it would. She closed her eyes and thought really hard, focusing all her magical energy on that one thing. In her mind she saw herself changing, but she felt nothing happening. _This is silly,_ Reagan thought and shook her head. Then she smelled something, something she didn't recognize. Before she knew what she was doing she followed the source of the smell, her eyes still tightly shut.   
  
"Reagan!" she heard Professor Lupin's voice and it rang loudly in her ears.   
  
She opened her eyes and tried to shout 'what?' but all that came out was a deep bark.   
  
  
  
_ A/N: Thank you to everyone for all the reviews, and please review this one, I really want to know what you think. I've also started to write my own original fiction which I have begun to archive at FictionPress.net, here is the link to my author page:   
  
If the link doesn't work, then just copy and paste it to your web browser. I'd also like feedback on that, writing my own characters and my own plot line is VERY different than writing fan fiction. It porbably won't be updated as often as this either. My goal is to get at least this fic done by June 21st, if not it's sequel. Yes there is a sequl planned in my head. I love Reagan too much to drop her from my head. All right, I'm done rambling, review please!!! ~EE_


	8. Chapter 8: Voices in My Head

  
  
  
  
**Chapter Eight: Voices in My Head**   
_Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. Actually I did make up the order that the Aurors are ranked, but even that I had help on._   
"So how are the new trainees doing?" Harry asked the Auror in front of him during the Monday morning briefing.   
  
"Wonderful," Sergeant Major Grimmel replied and went into an very detailed, very boring account of how the new year of recruits were doing. Harry half listened, nodding at the appropriate times.   
  
"Good to hear," Harry said as the man finished. "Is there anything else on the agenda, ladies, gentlemen? Minister?"   
  
The eight other men and women looked at each other and then at their packets of parchment in front of them. Lieutenant Major Lance Cruz, a tall blond haired man sat to Harry's immediate right, and his wife, Lieutenant Major Imaera Cruz next to him. Major Diego Hoffmeyer, Harry's second in command, sat next to Imaera and Colonel Melvin Knott next to him. Colonel Majors Chanida Klien was next to Colonel Knott, flipping through her papers, and and Jisun Lee sat to her right. Beside him was Colonel Glayne Mashall who didn't seem to excited about his seat next to the Minister of Magic, who sat to Harry's left.   
  
"I think thats about it," Hermione said, beside Harry. "I'm glad things are moving along."   
  
"I am too," Harry replied. "If there is nothing else, then this meeting is adjourned." He stood up with the other Aurors as Hermione, the Minister of Magic, stood up. The other Aurors began to file out of the room, though Hermione stayed behind.   
  
"How are things really, Harry?" Hermione asked, once everyone else had left.   
  
Harry sighed. "As good as we can ask for. The disturbances are sporadic. They don't relate to anything else, and they don't resemble anything else either. Well just have to wait it out."   
  
"I'm sure it will be fine," Hermione replied, sitting down again. "How is your new project coming along?"   
  
"My new project?" Harry asked. "Oh, the Animagi one. Well, its coming well. James has taken it under his wing to develop. He wants it to be a new department of the Aurors. Having Aurors trained as Animagi can be beneficial in battle and stake outs."   
  
"Be careful, Harry," Hermione warned. "How are you going to get current Aurors into the program?"   
  
"Well, James and I are in. The word is out amongst the Aurors that anyone who has Animagus abilities are asked to apply. Everyone will be evaluated of course. Even the unregistered ones will be asked to consider it. They'll have to be registered once they are accepted of course."   
  
"But Harry, once they're registered, anyone can look and see who they are," Hermione said. "And what animal they are. Won't that be defeating the purpose?"   
  
"Thats something I wanted to talk to you about," Harry continued. "I want to have them registered, but not in public records. They'll be in a division of the Aurors that the Unspeakables fall under. So we will know who and what they are, but no one else will."   
  
"That could work," Hermione replied and jotted something on her parchment. "What about incoming trainees? Are you going to want them to have Animagi abilities?"   
  
Harry grinned. "Well our favorite werewolf who also happens to be a Professor at Hogwarts has helped me with that bit. He's started Animagi studies early."   
  
"How early?" Hermione questioned.   
  
"Fourth years," he replied.   
  
"Fourth years!" Hermione cried. "But thats way below their capabilities!"   
  
"Relax, Hermione," Harry said. "They just start the theory of it, and basic Switching Spells. They start early so more can master it by their seventh year. Remus is on a look out for those who share potential and those individuals will be asked to consider becoming an Auror." Hermione nodded and wrote something else on the parchment.   
  
"Well, as long as you make sure that who ever doesn't join becomes registered," Hermione replied. "I don't want loads of unregistered Animagi coming out of Hogwarts."   
  
"I will," he answered.   
  
"How is Reagan doing?" Hermione asked, setting aside her parchment.   
  
"Wonderfully," Harry replied, smiling. "I got a letter form Gareth Lockhart..."   
  
"Gareth Lockhart?" Hermione asked. "I thought he was in Zambia?"   
  
"I see you zone out some of our weekly meetings as well," Harry chuckled. "Lieutenant Lockhart came back this year and is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts."   
  
"Oh I remember something about this now," Hermione said, rubbing her temples. "Is he going to join your Animagus group? What are you calling it?"   
  
"Animagents," James said, walking into the room. "Good morning, Dad, Aunt Hermione." James stooped and kissed his aunt on the cheek.   
  
"Hello James," Harry said and his son sat in the chair next to Hermione.   
  
"I didn't mean to interrupt, but your secretary told me to come in," James explained.   
  
"Not a problem," Hermione replied. "We were just discussing Lieutenant Lockhart."   
  
"Gareth?" James asked. "He's at Hogwarts, right?"   
  
"Yes," Harry answered. "He sent me a letter about Reagan actually."   
  
"Oh no," James groaned. "What did she do now?"   
  
"Its nothing bad," Harry replied. "He was just commenting on how well she did in class."   
  
"Well thats expectable," Hermione said. "Is he going to send you a letter every time she does well?"   
  
"I hope not," Harry said and leaned back in his chair. "I am a bit worried about her thought."   
  
"Harry, she's a fourteen year old girl," Hermione replied. "She can handle herself, more than you realize. You handled yourself at fourteen, if I remember correctly."   
  
"I know," Harry said. "This is quite different. She doesn't have an evil wizard after her blood. Its this dream we had and it was, well _odd,_" Harry replied and gave them a brief recap of his dream he shared with Reagan.   
  
"Why did she pass out?" James asked. "Shouldn't she be used to it by now?"   
  
"Its not exactly something you get used to, James," Harry said. "Its a bit unnerving at times."   
  
James rolled his eyes. "Dad, honestly. All you do is share dreams and such."   
  
"You'd better be careful, James," Hermione warned. "You'll probably have a Connection too. Especially if you and Erika get married." James blushed at the mention of his girlfriend, Erika Caldwell.   
  
"Speaking of Erika, how is she?" Harry asked.   
  
"She's wonderful," James sighed. "She's at the hospital right now. IÕm taking her to lunch this afternoon, to Carbello's."   
  
"Carbello's?" Harry asked. "Thats where I proposed to your mum."   
  
"I know, Dad," James replied. "You say that every time Carbello's is mentioned."   
  
"What is her specialty again?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Oh, curses," James replied. "She's a medi-witch in the Children's Department at St. Mungo's."   
  
"I hear she's making quite a name for herself," Hermione continued. "Working with those children who have been exposed to such horrors. I read something about her in _Medi-Magic Today_ recently. She made quite an impression on them."   
  
"Yeah, they were at the house for hours doing that story," James replied and shook his head. "I swear, no matter what I do, those damned reporters won't go away."   
  
"I don't think you were mentioned in the article, James," Hermione said.   
  
"Good," he answered as he stood up. "They were very chatty with me till I told them my name. Then they wanted to only talk with Erika. Seems they associated 'Potter' with 'hates paparazzi'."   
  
"They should," Harry replied. "Those damned good for nothing gits only like to exploit the worst in people and make their faults out to be ten times worse then they really were. I'm just glad that people like Rita Skeeter arenÕt in employment anymore, those bloody..."   
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Your language! It may be just us in here, but please try to remain somewhat professional!"   
  
Harry grumbled a 'sorry' and that seemed to satisfy his sister-in-law. They chatted for a few more minutes until Hermione had to leave for another meeting and James had to go work with a new Auror who was interested in the Animagents. Harry watched his son leave and then turned to his morning mail, still grumbling about the press.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Reagan sat with her head against a tree, completely proud of herself. Josie and Cal were sprawled out on a blanket, doing homework in the late afternoon sun. It was Monday afternoon, and they had time to spare before dinner. Reagan sighed as she remembered they had Quidditch practice tonight; Darenn would no doubt work them to the bone.   
  
"Reagan, do it again," Josie pleaded. She had shown them her new Animagus abilities that she mastered on Saturday. Both had been incredible impressed.   
  
"Professor Lupin told me not to," Reagan replied, shaking her head. "What if someone saw me?"   
  
"She's right," Cal said. "She could get into trouble."   
  
"Oh Cal, stop it," Josie replied. "No one is out here, no one will see. Besides, if anyone asks, you're just some lovable stray."   
  
Reagan snorted, though something about the phrase 'lovable stray' caught her attention.   
  
_"What are you doing here, Sirius?"_ Reagan heard a voice say. It sounded oddly familiar.   
  
_"Fulfilling my duty as a godfather."_ Reagan looked around but couldnÕt find the source of the voice. _"Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray."_   
  
"Reagan?" Josie asked, a hint of concern on the tip of her voice.   
  
"Did you hear that?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Hear what?" Josie asked, looking around them.   
  
"That man's voice," Reagan replied. "It sounded like...like..."   
  
"Like what?" Josie asked. Cal sat up and looked at Reagan.   
  
"I didn't hear anyone's voice other than ours," he said.   
  
_"Poor old Snuffles. He must really like you Harry... Imagine having to live off rate."_ Reagan shook her head, trying to drown out the voice. She did recognize _that_ voice, it was her Uncle Ron's, which meant that the other voices must have been her father's and his godfather's, Sirius Black.   
  
"I have to go," Reagan muttered, gathering her things. She stood up and ran towards the castle, not glancing back at the bewildered looks she was receiving from her friends. She darted past the Great Hall towards the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. As she rounded a corner she ran into someone, laying them both flat on the ground.   
  
"Are you all right?" the person asked and Reagan looked up to see who she had knocked down.   
  
"Trevor!" Reagan exclaimed. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"   
  
"I'm all right," he replied getting off the floor. "Are you?" He held out his hand and helped her up.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, picking up her spilled books.   
  
"Why were you running?" he asked, helping her gather her things.   
  
"Oh, I was...um..." Reagan stammered, not knowing what to say.   
  
"You were?" he asked. He looked into her eyes, making her knees go weak. _He has really deep blue eyes,_ she thought.   
  
"Reagan!" she heard Josie's voice coming from the base of the stairs, making them both jump.   
  
"Nothing, no reason, I wasn't running for any reason," she replied, breaking their eye contact. "I was just in a hurry, thats all." She shoved her things back into her bag, and stood to leave.   
  
"Are you all right?" Trevor asked, catching her arm.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Reagan replied. "I didn't fall that hard."   
  
"No, I mean in general," he said. "You looked, I don't know, _spooked._"   
  
"I...I'm fine," she insisted.   
  
"Well if you ever need anyone to, erm...I don't know...talk to, I mean, you can always come to me," Trevor said and Reagan forced a smile.   
  
"Thanks." She turned and darted up the stairs before Josie found her. Reagan burst into the common room and ran to her dormitory, throwing her books and her book bag into her trunk, parchment, quills and ink spilling out. Reagan fell onto her bed, pulling the drawings closed and shut her eyes.   
  
_Dad,_ Reagan thought. _Daddy, please I'm scared._ She pulled a quill and parchment out of her trunk and began a letter. She quickly wrote down everything she had heard and sent it off with her owl, Vira, giving her specific instructions to go as fast as she could and to wait for a reply.   
  
Reagan heaved a sigh of relief as her owl flew into the distance.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Harry stood in his kitchen, stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce as it sat cooking on the stove.   
  
"What's got you lost in thought?" Ginny asked, walking into the kitchen.   
  
"Nothing," Harry replied and muttered a charm on the spoon. He turned and wrapped his arms around his wife.   
  
"How was your day?" she asked him.   
  
"Same as usual. James stopped by this morning. He took Erika to Carbello's."   
  
"Carbello's?" Ginny asked. "Thats nice. You must be paying your son well, Harry."   
  
"I'm not the one thats paying him, the Ministry is."   
  
"I can't wait till he makes as much as you do," Ginny said, wiggling free of his arms. "Harry the sauce, magic doesn't do it the same way as you do."   
  
Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the stove. "Well it should be enough to satisfy the expensive taste that Erika has aquired. You know, I think James and Erika might get married."   
  
"You think?" Ginny sarcastically asked, setting two plates onto the table. "Harry, I've suspected they would get married since I first met her. She's a very nice girl."   
  
"I know, I like her," Harry replied. "I just don't want them to rush into things."   
  
"Harry, your son is not one to rush into things. He's nineteen. He's been out of Hogwarts for two years. Its not like he's a child."   
  
"I know, Gin," Harry said. "I just...maybe I should talk to him. You know, have one of those father son talks."   
  
"You mean you haven't done it yet?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Well, yeah, I mean I talked to him before his sixth year, but that was just about girls. I should have another one and tell him about...well, girls and marriage and you know all the marriage stuff."   
  
"And what 'marriage stuff' would you need to tell him about?" Ginny asked. "James and Erika _live_ together. Don't you think they already partake in the 'marriage stuff'?"   
  
Harry winced. "Ginny!"   
  
"Sorry, Harry," his wife giggled. "But he's a nineteen year old boy. Do you remember how _you_ were at nineteen?"   
  
"Well, Ginny I was married when I was nineteen and..." Harry stopped. "I think I'll feel better if I talk to him. I had to have three of these talks, every two years. So he's getting off easy."   
  
"Three?" Ginny asked. "Who gave you a talk?"   
  
"Well Sirius did when I was sixteen, then Remus did later that year at school. Your father did over that Christmas break when I stayed at the Burrow. Then right after I left Hogwarts Sirius did again, and then Remus did again. Then I had to ask your father for your hand in marriage and then _he_ had to give me a talk again. So I'm quite the expert at receiving talks. Darenn should be up for his first one pretty soon."   
  
"And when does Reagan need one?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Never," Harry mumbled, turing back to the sauce.   
  
"What was that?" Ginny teased.   
  
"Reagan can get one when she's old enough. But I have to talk to the boys and we have _two_ of them so you have to talk to the girl."   
  
"The girl?" Ginny giggled. "You make them sound like they're puppies."   
  
"Yep, the Potter Puppies," Harry replied. "Speaking of the girl, isn't that Vira?" Harry moved towards the window, opening it for the owl to fly though. She dropped a letter on the table and sat patiently at the perch for the reply.   
  
"Why is Reagan sending messages this late?" Ginny asked. Harry shrugged and picked up the letter.   
  
"Dear Dad....   
  
_ Today when I was studying by the lake, Josie said something about lovable strays and then I heard voices...in my head. I think it was you and Uncle Ron and your godfather. Uncle Ron said he must have liked you because he lived off rats, and you called him Snuffles. Dad I heard this in my head, Josie and Cal didn't hear a thing. Dad, why is this happening? Is this a memory of yours? If it is, how come I heard it? This is beginning to freak me out. How come we're loosing control again? Is there a stronger way to shut off our minds, because I thought mine was closed. Is yours? Its starting to get hard. The more I think about it, the worse it gets. I haven't had a dream like the train one since then, but this is equally as freaky. Can you ask Aunt Hermione? Please? I'm just a little spooked I guess.  
Give my love to Mum,  
Reagan  
  
  
_ "Harry?" Ginny asked as Harry swore.   
  
"It was a memory," Harry said. "I was thinking about the Animagents today and was remembering when we met Sirius in Hogsmead during my fourth year. She must have picked up on it. I must have been thinking about it when she was talking to Josie. Sirius had called himself a lovable stray."   
  
"Harry why is this happening?" Ginny asked. "You two have been able to control your Connection until now. Things never used to leak out like this."   
  
"I know," Harry replied. "I guess I'll have to talk to Hermione." Harry took a quill from the counter and wrote back a reply.   
  
_ Reagan,  
I'm sorry about the memory, and yes that is what it was. I must have been thinking about it the same time you were talking to Josie. I'll try to shut my mind more forcefully, and you try to do the same. I'll talk to Hermione tomorrow and see if she has any answers. In the meantime, talk to Remus and see if he has any answers, and see if you can find anything in the Library. Darenn also did some reading on it this summer, ask him if he knows anything. It could just be that as you grow your magical abilities change, and with the Connection, it may change as well. We'll just have to adjust to it. I'm sorry if it scared you, Reagan. Love,  
Daddy  
_   
_A/N: Please review!!_   
  



	9. Chapter 9: Halloween

  
  
**Chapter Nine: Halloween**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Lourdes who requested a longer chapter. I was going to break it up into two parts but I decided not to. So enjoy your treat, and thank you for reviewing!! _  
  
  
September flew by rather quickly, to Reagan's enjoyment. Her dreams were free from premonitions and her voice was the only one she heard in her head. She barely realized Halloween was nearing until Darenn stopped her in the hall.   
  
"James is coming up," Darenn said. "On Friday."   
  
"Why on Friday?" Reagan asked, shifting her books to her other arm.   
  
"Friday is Halloween, Reagan," her brother replied. As Reagan remembered the holiday, her face fell. Darenn gave her a heart felt smile and left her in the hall to her own thoughts.   
  
Reagan drug her feet for the rest of the day. She was tired from early morning Quidditch practice, but also the weight of the holiday pulled her down. Soon enough Friday arrived and Reagan was not looking forward to it.   
  
Reagan sat down at the Gryffindor table on Halloween morning. More like she plopped down. She didn't look at anyone or make a move to get any breakfast. She sat contentedly with her head in her arms, perfectly happy to not talk to anyone one.   
  
"Reagan?" Josie asked. Reagan shook her head, indicating she didn't want to talk to anyone.   
  
"What's wrong with her?" Katie whispered to Cal.   
  
"Nothing," he replied. "But don't bug her today. Its not a good day for it."   
  
"Why?" Katie asked. "Is she sick?"   
  
"No, its more like upset." Cal responded.   
  
"Can you please stop whispering about me as if I'm not here?" Reagan asked from her position.   
  
"Well if your sick, you should see Madame Pomfrey," Katie said.   
  
"I'm not sick!" Reagan cried, throwing her head up. "If you must know--"   
  
"Good morning, Reagan," Professor Lupin cut her off. Reagan looked up and saw her uncle smiling at her.   
  
"Good morning," she replied.   
  
"Keep your chin up today, all right?" he said and squeezed her shoulder.   
  
"I'll try," she replied. He smiled and nodded to the other Gryffindors. Reagan watched him walk away and saw him stop to talk to Darenn.   
  
"I can't wait for tonight," Reagan sighed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her head thumped on the table but she ignored the momentary pain.   
  
"Are you excited about the feast?" Katie asked.   
  
"I'm not excited about the feast," Reagan replied. "I don't like Halloween. I'll see you all in class." Reagan got up and left the Great Hall.   
  
"How can someone not like Halloween?" Katie asked.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Reagan walked towards the greenhouses, knowing she was very early. She dropped her bag and sat down, her back sliding down the side of the greenhouse. Reagan stared at the Forbidden Forrest, not really looking at anything, just staring off into space.   
  
Reagan jumped when she saw a large dark wolf step out of the forest. Her first though that it was a werewolf, but she dismissed it immediately. This wolf looked familiar.   
  
It walked over to her and licked her cheek. Reagan patted the wolf on the head, scratching behind her ears.   
  
"Hello Erika," Reagan said to the wolf. Instantly the wolf changed to a blond haired witch.   
  
"Hi Reagan," Erika said. Reagan stood up and gave her a hug.   
  
"What are you doing out here?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well, James saw you leave the Great Hall," Erika explained. "He was going to follow you but I instead that I did. Besides, I haven't seen you in months."   
  
"Why are you guys here?" Reagan asked. "Well, this early I mean."   
  
"Remus wanted to use us in a class today."   
  
"Oh yes, Professor Lupin and his Animagus studies. He started us on them this year."   
  
"Well its for good reason," Erika replied. "James will explain it to you. Besides, I hear you've done quite well with your _own_ Animagus study."   
  
Reagan giggled. "I got it finally. I was able to stay in my Animagus form until I transformed out. That was where my problem had been."   
  
"Hmm," Erika said. "What would you say to a romp in the woods?"   
  
"Erika, I have Herbology," Reagan replied.   
  
"Not now," Erika laughed. "How about tomorrow?"   
  
"We play Slytherin tomorrow," Reagan answered. "We could do it afterwards. But I don't think Professor Lupin would let me. My dad probably wouldn't, and James would have a fit as well."   
  
"I can take care of James. Let me talk to Remus about it, though I'm sure he would say yes," Erika said. Reagan smiled at her.   
  
"Did you have this mischievous streak before or after your met my brother?"   
  
"Before," Erika replied. "Though I didn't know about it till afterwards. Ask my sister, she'll tell you some stories."   
  
"You know I never think of you an Lane being sisters," Reagan told her. "You just don't seem like you are."   
  
"Oh we are," Erika said. "Just you wait. We have our subtle resemblance. And here she comes."   
  
Reagan turned around and saw the rest of the Gryffindor fourth years walking across the lawns towards the greenhouses.   
  
"Erika!" Lane cried, running to give her sister a hug. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"Well James and I had to come up to do a favor for Professor Lupin. I stopped by to say hello to Reagan," Erika explained.   
  
"How long are you going to be here?" Lane asked. Erika quickly glanced at Reagan and then back at her sister.   
  
"Till tomorrow," Erika replied. "James wanted to see the Quidditch match so we're staying in Hogshead. We'll be out late tonight." A few of the Gryffindor boys snickered but Reagan knew the real reason she was going to be out late. It was the same reason Reagan was going to be out late.   
  
Erika said her goodbyes and took off towards the castle. Professor Abbott ushered them inside and they began their lesson. Reagan was paired with Lane as usual, and they took to repotting Bouncing Bulbs.   
  
Herbology flew by, and Reagan followed Cal and Josie to Transfiguration. Professor Lupin had another boring lecture planned, and Reagan's hand hurt as she left for lunch. Professor Lupin gave her a warm smile as she approached his desk, laying her essay on the wood.   
  
"See you this evening, Reagan," Professor Lupin said. Reagan nodded and went off to lunch.   
  
"Where are you going tonight?" Lane asked, sitting beside Reagan at the Gryffindor table. "Do you have another detention?"   
  
Reagan shook her head. "No, its sort of a...family kind of evening."   
  
"Is that why James and Erika are here?" she asked, stirring her pudding around on her plate.   
  
"Yeah, James came up to be with Darenn and I," Reagan explained. "Erika came up for James' support I guess."   
  
"Reagan you disappear every Halloween night," Bolton said. "Where do you all go?"   
  
"Around," Reagan replied, not looking up from her plate.   
  
"What is so special about Halloween?" he asked.   
  
Reagan looked up at her housemate. She stared at Bolton long enough for him to turn his head to see if she was looking past him, instead of at him.   
  
"Its just a special day for my family," Reagan replied. "We've... lost a lot of people on Halloween." Reagan glanced at Ethan and Caitlin who were carefully listening to the conversation from down the table.   
  
"Oh," Bolton asked. He didn't question it further, and Reagan was grateful.   
  
The Gryffindor fourth years finished their lunch and left for Defense Against the Dark Arts. They took their seats quietly and waited for the Slytherins to come.   
  
"How is everyone today?" Professor Lockhart asked. "Excited about Halloween?"   
  
Josie and Cal looked at Reagan, who was avoiding eye contact with the Professor.   
  
"Its a wonderful day," Reagan replied, rummaging through her bag. "I'd just _hate_ for it to end."   
  
"Wonderful to hear," Professor Lockhart replied, not noticing the sarcasm in her voice. The Slytherins began to trickle into the room and Professor Lockhart started to pass out their essays.   
  
"Excellent job, Miss Potter," he said, handing her a roll of parchment. She unrolled it and read the 100% written in glittery purple ink. She smiled and tucked it into her bag, adding another perfect score to her already massive list.   
  
"Today we're going to have a logic test," Professor Lockhart said. He was passing out another rolled up parchment to the students. "There are five riddles. The first team of five to complete all five correctly wins ten points each."   
  
Reagan glanced over at Josie and Cal, nodding to confirm their group.   
  
"However, you will not pick your team mates."   
  
Reagan's face fell. She knew he was going to pair up Slytherins and Gryffindors and she was not in the mood to deal with Slytherins right now. She half heatedly said three as he made everyone count off and moved over to a corner of the room with the other students dubbed as threes.   
  
"Hi," Reagan said, sitting down next to Ethan.   
  
"You're a three?" he asked.   
  
"Unfortunately," she grumbled. The other three members of their group were Slytherins. They sat and starred at Ethan and Reagan like a type of plague.   
  
"Are you a Weasley?" a girl asked.   
  
"My name is Ethan," he said. "Ethan Weasley."   
  
"Are you related to the Minister of Magic?" she asked.   
  
"We both are," Reagan said before Ethan could answer. "Is that a problem for you?"   
  
"No," the girl replied. "I was just wondering."   
  
"Good, now can we please get on with this?" Reagan said, unrolling her parchment.   
  
"I'm Liliah," the girl said and extended her hand. Reagan shook it, slightly surprised at the Slytherin's formalities.   
  
"I'm Damien Stone," a tall boy said and shook Reagan's hand.   
  
"And I'm Peter Follon," the other boy said. "You're Reagan Potter, right?"   
  
"Yes," she replied.   
  
"I heard from the other class that these riddles were hard," Peter said. "I hope having you on our team will help us get through them fast."   
  
Reagan was taken back again. Why were these Slytherins being nice?   
  
"Well lets get to work." Reagan unrolled her parchment and took out her quill.   
  
_ 1) The beginning of eternity  
The end of time and space  
The beginning of every end,  
And the end of every place.   
  
_ "Any ideas?" Ethan asked.   
  
"Well whats at the beginning of eternity?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Nothing," Peter replied. "I mean eternity can't really be measured, so what could be at the beginning?"   
  
"Well none of these things are really measurable," Liliah commented. "They're all sort of abstract. Well except time and space."   
  
"She's right," Ethan said, looking at his parchment. "All the clues talk about the beginning and the end of something that doesn't have a beginning or an end."   
  
"Well maybe its not supposed to be looked at so deeply," Reagan replied. "A lot of riddles are only skin deep. 'The beginning of every end'..." Reagan paused and rewrote the passage. She stared the word end. The beginning of end..._end..._   
  
"End," Reagan said. "End, e-n-d. The beginning of end is an e."   
  
"E," Ethan repeated.   
  
"'End of time and space,' the last letter in time and space is an e also," Liliah commented. "So the answer is the letter e?"   
  
"I think so," Reagan replied. She scribbled their answer onto her parchment and went to show Professor Lockhart. He approved their answer and gave her the next riddle.   
  
They went through this process for the next four questions, the team working equally together to get the answers.   
  
"Your last answer?" Professor Lockhart asked, looking at the five students standing in front of him.   
  
"A watermelon," Reagan replied, showing him their parchment.   
  
Professor Lockhart eyed their paper and then looked at each of their eager faces.   
  
"Well..." he said, drawling the work out. The two Gryffindors and three Slytherins looked eagerly at him. A smile spread widely across his face and he said, "Correct! Team three wins!"   
  
"Yeah!" Reagan squealed, jumping in the air. Before she realized what she was doing, she was giggling and hugging Liliah.   
  
"Ten points each!" Ethan exclaimed. "Its only twenty points, put after we win the Quidditch match tomorrow we'll be ahead of Slytherin!" Liliah and Reagan stopped giggling and looked at Ethan.   
  
"Right, Quidditch," Reagan said and looked at Liliah. None of the fourth year Slytherins were on the Quidditch team, though Peter was rumored to be a reserve Beater.   
  
Liliah looked at her housemates and then at Reagan.   
  
"Well good luck tomorrow," she said, startling Reagan.   
  
"Thanks," Reagan managed before being pulled out of the door.   
  
"Who was that Slytherin you were talking to?" Josie asked.   
  
"Liliah Kikiston," Reagan replied. "She was... nice."   
  
"Yeah, I bet," Josie replied. "She was nice to you so you would help them win. Slytherin got thirty points, we only got twenty."   
  
"Well we still got twenty points," Reagan said in her defense. "Besides when we win at Quidditch tomorrow..."   
  
"And she didn't ask you anything about Quidditch?" Josie asked and Reagan shook her head. "Reagan wake up. Liliah's a Slytherin, _a sneaky and sly Slytherin._"   
  
"Josie is there any possibility you could be wrong?" Reagan asked her friend.   
  
"Reagan, I live with Slytherins. My dad, and both my brothers," Josie replied. "Can you name one Slytherin who isn't like that?"   
  
"Trevor Daniels," Reagan said immediately, which got her questioning looks from Josie.   
  
"Trevor Daniels?" Josie asked, grinning. "I wonder why _he_ was the first name that popped into your head."   
  
"Because he's not like other Slytherins," Reagan replied, not missing a beat. "And thats the _only_ reason."   
  
Josie snickered but didn't say anything else. Reagan and Josie stopped by the library before heading back to Gryffindor Tower where Reagan tried to nap on the couch. Well, she tried to, but wasn't succeeding.   
  
"Will you two stop bickering!" Reagan cried as she sat up. Josie and Cal stopped arguing over their potions assignment and looked at her.   
  
"Sorry, Reagan," Cal said.   
  
"Yeah, sorry," Josie appologized.   
  
"I'm going upstairs to take a nap," Reagan huffed. "I can't sleep with you two bickering all the time." She started up the stairs, taking two at a time, and threw open the door to her dormitory, surprised to see that Caitlin, Lane and Katie weren't there.   
  
"Finally," Reagan muttered to herself. "A bit of quiet." She glanced at her alarm clock, and fell onto her bed with the intention of sleeping for the next two hours at least.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Reagan," Erika said, shaking Reagan slightly. Reagan rolled over and opened her eyes.   
  
"What time is it?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Almost time for dinner," Erika replied. "Josie said you've been asleep for nearly three hours."   
  
"Good," Reagan said as she yawned and stretched. "Maybe I'll be able to stay awake tonight."   
  
"I should have taken a nap as well," Erika said.   
  
"Where are Josie and Cal?" Reagan asked.   
  
"They went down to dinner," Erika replied. "I came with Remus in a few minutes ago and asked where you were. Josie said that you were asleep and was about to go and wake you for dinner. James suggested that you and Darenn come to dinner with us in Hogsmead, and Remus said it was all right."   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes. "I bet Josie _loved_ that."   
  
"Actually she just made the same face you did," Erika laughed.   
  
"Josie is convinced that I receive special treatment because of who my family is."   
  
"Your family?" Erika asked. "Why would that give you special treatment?"   
  
"Because I'm the only daughter of Harry Potter, and my aunt is the Minister of Magic," Reagan replied throwing her down comforter off of her.   
  
"Ah, then that explains ther reaction then," Erika said.   
  
"So we're eating in Hogsmead?" Reagan asked and Erika nodded.   
  
"James and Darenn are waiting down stairs in the common room," Erika said.   
  
"Hogwarts food is great, but it will be nice to eat something different," Reagan said. "Besides, I'm not really in the mood for a feast. Everyone all happy and everything; its not what I need right now."   
  
"I understand," Erika said as they walked out the door. Reagan ran her hand through her hair and straightened her robes as they went down the stairs.   
  
"Welcome to the world of the living, sleepy head," James said as she stepped into the common room.   
  
"Nice to see you too!" Reagan laughed and hugged her eldest brother. James looked just like her father, messy black hair and piercing green eyes. He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.   
  
"So Reagan, I just have to see it," James said to her.   
  
"See what?" she asked.   
  
"You transform!" James cried. "I won't believe it until I see it for myself."   
  
Reagan looked around the room to make sure no one was there. The common room was vacant, with the exception of the four of them standing in the room.   
  
"Only for a moment," Reagan said.   
  
"As long its long enough for me to believe it," James replied.   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and focused her energy on transforming into her Animagus self. It took only a moment and Reagan watched her brother become much taller than she was.   
  
"Incredible!" James cried, his eyes growing big. _Oh too loud, too loud!_ Reagan barked at him and shook her head, her white fur tossing around.   
  
"Oh sorry!" James whispered, but Reagan could hear him like he was talking normally. "I forgot about dogs having intensified hearing."   
  
Reagan transformed back into a witch and straightened her robes.   
  
"That was wonderful!" Erika cried. Reagan blushed as the three other gave her a small round of applause.   
  
"Whets with the clapping?" Professor Lupin asked, coming in through the portrait hole.   
  
"Oh, Reagan was just showing off her--ow!" James said and rubbed his leg where Reagan had kicked him.   
  
"Showing off what?" Professor Lupin asked.   
  
"I was telling them about the riddles we did in class today," Reagan quickly replied.   
  
"Really?" Professor Lupin asked, obviously not buying the story. "Darenn which riddle did she explain to you?"   
  
"Riddle?" Darenn asked. "Ummm..."   
  
"Exactly," Professor Lupin said. "Reagan it is perfectly all right for you to show your family your Animagus transformations. I'm glad you chose to do it when no other students were in the vicinity."   
  
"It was really good," James said to their uncle.   
  
"Yes, James I know it was," Professor Lupin replied. "I have seen her do it."   
  
"Shall we go to dinner?" Erika asked, changing the topic.   
  
"Dinner!" James exclaimed. "Yes!" Professor Lupin and Darenn lead the way out of the common room with Erika behind them and James and Reagan at her heels.   
  
"You almost got me into trouble!" Reagan whispered to her brother.   
  
"No I didn't!" he replied. "What breed of dog was that?"   
  
"A samoyed," Reagan replied. "Its a breed from Siberia meant for reindeer herding and pulling a dog sled."   
  
"Oh," James replied. "You'll need a nickname now."   
  
"A nickname?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Of course. Grandpa James and his friends all had one while they were here. You know, Prongs, Padfoot and Moony? Grandpa James was Prongs, Uncle Sirius was Padfoot and Uncle Lupin us Moony. Well Dad's name is Charlie, like that Muggle movie we watched once, the one with the mountain lion and the bloke? Well the mountain lion was named Charlie. Mine is Leo, cause I look like a leopard."   
  
"Clever," Reagan snorted. "So what's Erika's? Blackie?"   
  
"No," Erika said, grinning as she turned around. "Its Ebony."   
  
"You have to have one, Reagan," James said. "ÒIts tradition."   
  
Reagan thought for a moment. "Well I am a samoyed. How about Sammy?"   
  
"Sammy," James tried it out. "I like it."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Harry," Ginny said, walking up behind him. He was hunched over a file of papers not really reading the words.   
  
"Harry, hon, you've been in here for hours," Ginny said, lightly massaging his shoulders. "You haven't changed pages."   
  
"Yes I have," he replied, putting the papers down.   
  
"Harry," Ginny said, a hint of disbelief in her voice.   
  
"I can't think today, Gin," Harry sighed.   
  
Smiling at him, she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I know its hard for you."   
  
"I just wish we could have gone up to Hogsmead with James and Erika," Harry said.   
  
"Well we could have but Hermione said it would be best to keep you and Reagan apart for now," Ginny explained. "She wants to figure out the problem with the Connection first."   
  
"I know, I know," Harry replied, stroking her arm. "I still wish we could have gone."   
  
"I'm _so_ sorry you have to be stuck here with me," Ginny teased and sat on his lap. He drew his arms around her, laying his head on her shoulder.   
  
"Do you want me to make dinner?" Harry offered. "It would get my mind off of things."   
  
"No!" Ginny laughed. "I want it to be edible!"   
  
"Funny, Ginny," Harry smirked.   
  
"How about this," Ginny said, getting off his lap. "I'll make dinner, if you go and take a shower."   
  
Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "A shower?"   
  
"Yes, Harry," Ginny replied. "It will calm you down. Use some of that Muscle Relaxer Solution that Hermione sent for your birthday."   
  
"A shower does sound nice," Harry said and stood up. "What time is it?"   
  
Ginny glanced at the clock. "Almost nine thirty."   
  
"How long do I have till dinner?"   
  
Ginny glanced at the clock on the wall. "Half hour?"   
  
"Thanks Gin," Harry said and kissed her head.   
  
"Its what I'm here for," she replied.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Dinner calmed Reagan down and she was in a decent mood when they began their hike back to Hogwarts. Reagan had missed James. She was very close to her brothers and it had been hard on all of them when James had moved out after he left Hogwarts.   
  
"Reagan, you'll have to consider becoming an Auror," James said to her on their trek back.   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes. "And why is that?"   
  
"Dad let me start this new division," James said.   
  
"And he's calling them the Animagents," Erika cut in.   
  
"The Animagents?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Its a elite group of Aurors who have Animagus abilities," James explained.   
  
"James, I still have three years left at Hogwarts," Reagan replied. "Couldn't we wait on deciding what I'm going to do?"   
  
"She's right, James. Give her a break," Erika said. "She's only fourteen."   
  
"I suppose," James said. "What about you, Darenn? Do you know what you want to do?"   
  
Darenn shrugged. "I don't know. I have a few things in mind, but we'll have to wait and see."   
  
"What things do you have in mind?" Remus asked.   
  
"Nothing significant," Darenn replied.   
  
"Darenn, playing Professional Quidditch is significant," Reagan said to her brother before she could stop herself. She knew Darenn wanted to play Professionally, though he had never said anything to her. It was just one of those weird things she picked up on.   
  
"You want to go Pro?" James asked, excitedly.   
  
"Yeah," Darenn said, glancing at Reagan. "I was thinking about it. I don't know though, it all depends."   
  
"Well you'd be a great Professional Quidditch player," Reagan said.   
  
"Thanks," Darenn said. It was dark, but Reagan could see him grinning at her.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Harry!" Ginny called from the bottom of the stairs.   
  
"Dinner, Potter," Harry muttered to himself. He rubbed his head with the towel, trying to dry his hair.   
  
"Harry Potter!"   
  
"Coming, Gin!" Harry yelled. He ran a comb through his hair, and made an attempt to control it. He found that if he combed it while it was still wet then it was a bit tamer than normal. Only a bit, his hair still had a mind of its own. Giving up, he threw on a shirt, and went down to the kitchen for dinner.   
  
"About time," Ginny teased.   
  
"Sorry, Gin," Harry apologized and kissed her cheek.   
  
"Your hair looks nice," she commented and Harry rolled his eyes.   
  
"Thanks," he replied. She set a plat in front of him and he melted at the scent. "Angel hair pasta, with a mild alfredo sauce. This is my favorite dinner!"   
  
"Very observant of you, Potter. And with your eyes closed too!" Ginny teased. "You missed the shrimp and mushrooms."   
  
"I was getting to them," Harry said, opening his eyes. "Thank you Ginny."   
  
"You're welcome, Harry," she replied and sat down opposite him. They ate in silence for a few moments till Ginny spoke.   
  
"What's your favorite memory of Sirius?" she asked. Startled at her question, Harry almost dropped his fork.   
  
"Favorite memory?" he asked and Ginny nodded. "It would have to be when we were coming back from the Shrieking Shack at the end of my third year. He told me he was my godfather, which I already knew, and then he asked I wanted to come and live with him. I was extremely excited and I told him yes and asked if he had a place, and when I could move in. Anything to get away from the Dursleys. And he turned and smiled and me and for the first time I saw the real Sirius Black. Not the convicted criminal, but the man that was my dadÕs best friend. I saw what he looked like before everything. It was like years of worry and stress and tension and anger and just age was wiped from his face. I..."   
  
"Harry," Ginny said and moved closer to him.   
  
"I wish I could have known him better," Harry finally said, his voice quivering. "I wish he could see me now and that he knew James and Darenn and Reagan. I... I wish I would have gotten there sooner."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Look, Reagan," James said pointing. "Here's Sirius' name."   
  
Reagan looked and saw his name on the placard on the wall. They were in the Trophy room, looking at the names of their deceased loved ones' names on old school lists. Her Grandpa James and Grandma Lily had been Head Boy and Head Girl. They also found Fred's name on a list as well as his wife Emma's. She had been a year behind her Uncles Fred and George, in Ravenclaw.   
  
Reagan had very few memories of her Uncle Fred and Aunt Emma. They and their daughter Kate had been murdered by Death Eaters. Four summers ago, when they went to America to meet her father's family, they found out that the man that killed Fred, Emma and Kate was the same man that one of her father's cousins had married. His name was Kevin Brown, and he was related to the Malfoys.   
  
"Sirius had Charms honors," Darenn observed.   
  
"He most certainly did," Remus said. "He and James were excellent at Transfiguration and Charms. Lily was amazing at Potions. Those three are the only reason I passed all three of those classes. My monthly routine made it difficult to get work done sometimes."   
  
"What were you good at?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Oh I was. I was actually very good at Transfiguration, it was just difficult to keep up. I've always had a knack for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and also Magical Creatures, you know, being one myself." Remus glanced at his watch. "Its ten o'clock, we should wrap it up in here to get you two students back for curfew."   
  
Reagan nodded and moved closer to the list on the wall with Sirius's name on it.   
  


Sirius Tarent Black  
House: Gryffindor  
Honors: Charms, Transfiguration, Magical Creatures  
_"When in doubt, wag your tail."_

  
  
"'When in doubt, wag your tail,'" Reagan repeated to herself, bringing her hand to the metal and touching his name.   
  
Suddenly she was falling, and everything was black.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Harry?" Ginny asked and he looked up at her. "Where were you just now?"   
  
"Just thinking," Harry replied. He stood up and moved to his study where he pulled a box off the very top shelf.   
  
"Harry?" Ginny asked, coming into the room.   
  
"I have something of Sirius' that I never showed you," he said. He opened the box and pulled out a Ministry ID badge, a few letters and a wand.   
  
"Was that his?" Ginny asked and her husband nodded.   
  
"I was his heir," Harry said. "These were the only things that didn't seem right to leave in the vault." He picked up the wand, and as his fingers touched the wood, he felt like he was falling into a deep dark whole, far away from Ginny, far away from everything with light.   
  
  
_ End of Chapter Authors Notes: I want to apologize to everyone for not getting this out sooner, its been like almost a month right? I am terribly sorry. The end of the year snuck up on me and I had finals and cramming for those finals and moving out of my dorm and then moving back into my house. Then I had to find a job and I have literally not had enough time to sit and write. And whenever I did I was stuck. I hit a bit of writer's block.   
  
I have written another companion to this whole universe called, "This is Only the Beginning." It chronicles the events surrounding the birth of the Potter children. It was my attempt to rid myself of writer's block.   
  
I am happy to inform you all that in my new job I have unlimited internet access, and also I have hours during the day to sit and write. Or baby-sit, you know whatever tickles my fancy at that moment.   
  
Thank you for all the support, and the chapters should come quicker now that I have time.   
  
~Erica Evans   
_


	10. Chapter 10: Explanations in the Library

  
**Chapter Ten: Explanations in the Library**   
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Ha, as if!   
  
A/N: Sorry about that little cliffy back there folks. YouÕll find out what happened in due time. Thank you to all the reviews, I really appreciate it. Okay, enough from me, on to the story........._   
"Reagan!" Lane called to her. Reagan locked eyes with her friend and caught the Quaffle out of the air before the Slytherin Chasers had a chance. Reagan flew towards the Slytherin goals, rolling to the left as a Bludger came up behind her. Smiling, she faked a throw to the left, throwing it into the top most goal when the Keeper went to the left.   
  
"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Jerry Papworth, the third year Gryffindor cried. "That shot was made by Gryffindor Chaser, the lovely Reagan Potter, and the Slytherin Keeper, Drayton Flint, doesn't look too pleased about it. Gryffindor leads 50-10."   
  
"Reagan, to your right!" Logan called. Reagan turned to look in the direction of the warning. A bludger was coming directly at her. She instinctively flattened herself onto her broom, and braced herself for the impact. But one never came.   
  
"Careful, Reagan," Darenn called to her. She opened an eye and saw her brother sitting to her left, holding his bat and looking triumphant.   
  
"Thanks Darenn," Reagan called, realizing he had saved her from the Bludger. He smiled and flew down to the other end where a bludger was headed towards Josie who was in a steep dive.   
  
Reagan blinked. A few feet in front of her best friend was a little thing, gold and glittering.   
  
"Go go go go!" Reagan cried. She flew towards that end of the pitch and caught the Quaffle from Logan. Keeping an eye on Josie as she pulled up out of her dive, four seconds after the Slytherin Seeker had, Reagan threw the Quaffle effortlessly into the Slytherin goal, scoring seconds before Josie closed her hand over the fluttering wings of the Snitch.   
  
"Josie Malfoy catches the Snitch! One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor!" Jerry cried. "Gryffindor wins!"   
  
Reagan flew to her best friend and threw her arms around her.   
  
"Yay! You did it you did it!" Reagan cried, hugging Josie.   
  
"Good job!" Lane cried.   
  
"Yeah!" Darenn said, hugging both Reagan and Josie. "Thank you thank you thank you!"   
  
Josie looked uncomfortable. "Uhm, your welcome?"   
  
"Sorry!" Darenn laughed and let go of them.   
  
"Darenn!" Avery called, running across the pitch. Darenn ran towards her and they collided in a tight embrace. Reagan thought she saw her brother kiss her cheek, but her view was blocked by energetic Gryffindors. "Come one team, showers and then lunch!" Darenn yelled.   
  
Reagan and Josie followed the team towards the showers, still excited about their win.   
  
"Where do you think Cal is?" Josie asked, turning around and walking backwards to look for him.   
  
"We'll see him after our showers," Reagan said. Josie nodded and followed Reagan into the girls locker room.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Josie!" Cal cried as Reagan and Josie walked out of the locker room. Josie ran and gave Cal a hug and Reagan came up next to them.   
  
"That was an awesome catch," Cal said to Josie and she tried not to blush, but her fair skin made it even more apparent.   
  
"Thanks," she replied.   
  
"You did great too," Cal said to Reagan.   
  
"Thanks Cal," Reagan said.   
  
"Yes you did do well," Professor Lupin said, walking up to them. "You are a thrill to watch, Reagan."   
  
"Thank you Professor," she replied.   
  
"Hey!" James cried, walking up to them. Reagan glanced around for Erika and saw her talking to her sister a little ways away. "I'm glad you stuck around," Reagan said, hugging her eldest brother.   
  
"You did a great job," James replied. "I had forgotten how you can fly. That was brilliant!"   
  
"Thanks," she replied.   
  
"Good job, Reagan," Erika said, leaving her sister. "I always loved watching you fly. It was the coolest thing to see all three Potters play Quidditch. Two is almost as good!"   
  
"Thanks, Erika," Reagan said.   
  
"Reagan!" Trevor called and Reagan turned around and saw him walking towards her. She shot James a look for him to be polite, and smiled at Trevor as he got closer.   
  
"Hi Trevor," Reagan said. "This is my brother, James. James, this is Trevor Daniels."   
  
"Hello," Trevor said. "Its nice to meet you."   
  
"Its nice to meet you too," James said, a bit apprehensive. "This is my girlfriend, Erika."   
  
"Hello Trevor," Erika said, stealing a glance at Reagan.   
  
"Hello," Trevor said, shaking her hand.   
  
"Erika and James came up last night and they stayed to watch the match today," Reagan explained.   
  
"It was quite exciting," Trevor said. "You did an excellent job, Reagan."   
  
"Thanks." Reagan was now the one fighting the blood rising to her cheeks. "I wasn't alone though, Josie's the one that caught the Snitch."   
  
Josie jumped when she heard her name. She and Cal had been standing beside Reagan, watching the events with curiosity.   
  
"That's right," Trevor said. "It was an excellent catch, Josie. And that dive, I was quite impressed."   
  
"Thank you," Josie said.   
  
"Are you two staying for lunch?" Reagan asked James and Erika.   
  
James glanced at his girlfriend. "We've actually got to get back."   
  
"I'm really sorry, Reagan," Erika said.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "Its all right, we can do it some other time." She gave Erika a hug and then her brother and then walked towards the castle, leaving Erika, her brother and her uncle on the Quidditch pitch.   
  
"You all right?" Trevor asked Reagan. Josie and Cal were a little ways ahead of Reagan and Trevor.   
  
"I don't know," she replied. She didn't think she needed to tell him about what had happened the night before. But she felt compelled to.   
  
"Reagan?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Can you come to library with me?" she asked.   
  
"Um, what about lunch?" he asked.   
  
"We can nick something from the kitchens later," she answered. "Please, I... I need to talk to someone."   
  
Trevor looked seriously at her and nodded. "All right."   
  
They walked into the library and found a table towards the back of the room. Reagan got up and got a book of the shelf, _The Connection of Three and How it Pertains To Me,_ and handed it it Trevor.   
  
"Have you ever heard of the Connection of Three?" she asked him and he nodded.   
  
"You have one, don't you?" he asked.   
  
"Yes, I do," she replied. "How did you know?"   
  
"Common sense," he replied. "You have two older brothers and you're really good at everything."   
  
"The reason I'm good at everything isn't because --"   
  
"You're a Potter," Trevor interrupted her. "Reagan I know, I wasn't saying it was completely because of your Connection."   
  
"Both James and Darenn are good at things too," Reagan said. "And they don't have one of these stupid things."   
  
"Why is your Connection stupid?" he asked.   
  
"Because it is," Reagan answered. "It...gets out of control."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
Reagan paused. She knew she could trust him. "At first it was fine, well except for I could hear my dad's thoughts in my head. Once we learned how to control it, it was better. Until this year. When either of us gets out of control or our emotions run wild, then stuff, leaks out. I've heard my dad's memories and last night..."   
  
"What happened last night?" he asked.   
  
"I..." she stopped again. "My father's parents died on Halloween. Thats when he got his scar. And then after he finished at Hogwarts his godfather was tortured and murdered. My Uncle Fred, Aunt Emma and my cousin Kate also were murdered on Halloween. Its sort of a day of morning for my family, and thats why James and Erika came up. Darenn, James, Erika, Professor Lupin and I went to dinner last night and--"   
  
"Why did Professor Lupin go?" Trevor asked.   
  
"He's my uncle," she replied. "Well, not by blood, but he was best friends with my dad's dad, they were like brothers. So we just always called him Uncle Remus. I think my dad even thinks of him as an uncle. So we went to dinner last night and we came back and went to the trophy room. There are placards on the walls with all the students names who have attend Hogwarts since Hogwarts was founded. And I was looking at him name and...."   
~~~~~~~ The Night Before........ ~~~~~~~   
She was falling, like the floor beneath her opened up and she fell straight down. She tried to scream, but either her voice wasnÕt working or she couldnÕt hear her voice. There was no sound.   
  
Suddenly Reagan's feet hit the ground and she stumbled backwards. She was outside Hogwarts, but not the Hogwarts she knew. Stone was falling from the side of the castle and people were running around. She ducked as a curse flew at her, though no one seemed to notice she was there.   
  
"Reagan," a voice said. She turned around and saw a tall man. She didn't say anything, but just stared at him.   
  
"Don't worry, no one can see you. You are in a memory, like diving into a pensive. But this is not your memory."   
  
"Who's is it?" she asked.   
  
"Your father's," he replied and gestured to a boy running by them.   
  
"Thats my dad?" she asked. He looked so young.   
  
The man laughed. "Yes, thats him. You'd be surprised at how much you are like him."   
  
"I know we're alike," she replied. "Everyone knows that."   
  
"But there are some things you don't know," he said. "Did you know that your father had dreams during his fourth year that told him of things to come?"   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Is my dad a Seer? Is that how I can do it too?"   
  
The man laughed. "No, Harry is defiantly_ not_ a Seer. But he did have a scar that connected him to Voldemort and he was able to see things."   
  
"Then how come I can do it?" she asked.   
  
"Because of your Connection with him," he answered. "Your Connection allows you to be incredibly perceptive of things around you. You know people very well when you first meet them. You are also very good at your book studies because you soak the knowledge in quickly and well. Your magical ability is not terribly effected by your Connection, but by your bloodline. You are a Potter and that is what makes you strong. And your dreams, well when you dream about things your mind picks up on the time waves in the air. Time is a continuum and in a way, your mind is able to see what will happen or what has already happened and you see these images as dreams."   
  
"Is this a dream?" she asked. "Did I fall asleep?"   
  
"This is not a dream. You are in your father's memory. His last memory of me."   
  
"Of you?" she asked. "Then y-you......you're Sirius Black."   
  
"In the flesh," he replied. "Or in the spirit if you will."   
  
"But I saw you die once," she said. "In a dream, so how can this be the last memory he has of you?"   
  
"This is one of your father's last_ happy_ memories of me, and ironically enough, it was in a battle," he replied.   
  
"But we're at Hogwarts," she replied.   
  
"Many of the battles were at Hogwarts," he replied. "This one was a week before I died."   
  
"Why was this a happy one?" she asked.   
  
"I'll show you," he said and she followed him.   
  
_ "Sirius, thats out of the question," _she heard her father say.   
  
_ "Harry don't make me pull rank on you," Sirius said to him._   
  
"You are arguing," Reagan said. "How is that happy?"   
  
"Just wait," he replied.   
  
_ "Harry, I don't want you to do anything stupid," Sirius said. "You have Ginny, and you can't sacrifice that."   
  
"But if you go then you won't be here," Harry said. "I can't let you go and die!"_ Reagan could feel the painful emotions coming from her father.   
  
_ "Harry I won't die," Sirius said. "I may have missed the first thirteen years of your life, but I won't miss the next thirteen years, or any more after that. Trust me, I'll be there."_   
  
"You said you'd be there," Harry's voice said and Reagan and Sirius turned around to see her father standing behind them. "Way to keep a promise."   
  
"Well I didn't die doing what we are discussing over there," Sirius replied. "My death was something completely different."   
  
"Dad?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Hi Reagan," he said to her. "Welcome to my memory."   
  
"How did...?" she asked, not able to find adequate words.   
  
"He fell through the same time you did," another man answered, coming up beside her father. He was as tall as Harry was, with the same messy hair that her brothers had inherited from her father. They looked incredibly alike, and James looked just like them.   
  
"I was there, like Sirius was for you," the man said.   
  
"Reagan, this is my father," Harry explained. "Your Grandpa James."   
  
"This is too much," Reagan said. "How come you two are dead but you were here when we fell into this...memory?"   
  
"Once you die, Reagan," Sirius said. "You are virtually free to go anywhere. You know whats going to happen, so you can be anywhere at any time."   
  
"Why did we come to _this_ memory?" Reagan asked.   
  
"I was thinking about Sirius at the same time you were," her father explained.   
  
"Because of your Connection, you were both pulled into this memory," Grandpa James explained.   
  
"How do we get out?" she asked.   
  
Harry shrugged. "We have to wait till its over."   
  
"Wait till its over?!" Reagan cried. "Dad that could be days!"   
  
"Reagan, do you remember all of your breakfast today? Or just bits of it?" Harry asked.   
  
"I guess just bits of it," she replied.   
  
"Exactly," Harry replied. "I don't remember this entire battle in full detail. Thats why some things are blurry. I'm sure that whatever I do remember is about up. Besides, you get an opportunity to meet Sirius and my father, one I never though you would have."   
  
"But this isn't real, this is like a dream," Reagan replied.   
  
"This is as real as you or me, Reagan," her father replied. "You're not a school anymore and I'm not at home, our bodies basically appeared in this dreamlike memory state."   
  
"But dreams are in our minds, our mind creates or translates them," Reagan said.   
  
"Thats where your Connection came in," Grandpa James said. "Because of your strong lineage, and your Connection of Three, you two were thrust back to the time when the memory was made. You are watching as everything happens. You only see what Harry remembers."   
  
"So when it ends where do we go?" Reagan asked. "Do we just appear somewhere?"   
  
"Probably back where were were before," Harry said.   
  
"Why does this kind of stuff keep happening?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Its a combination of two things," Sirius said. "One is that as you get older, Reagan, your magical ability grows and changes, especially because you are learning more. So your connection changes. You can't always wear the same pair of school robes, right? You have to get new ones or adjust the ones you have. So as you get older, you two will have to find different ways of closing your minds, a door won't always work."   
  
"The other reason your Connection is essentially leaking out, is because you have been suppressing it so much and so strongly. Its been growing and gaining power, and it doesn't have room to expand. You two will have to come up with some way to release and keep your guard down to basically let it run free from time to time. Each time it has leaked out its been worse and worse. Reagan you heard a memory last, and now you are in one. After your magical ability essentially stops growing, then it won't be as much of a problem."   
  
"So now that we have instructions from the, erm, afterlife if you will, what do we do now?" Reagan asked.   
  
"We wait," Harry replied. "We don't have much time, though. Sirius and I are almost done talking."   
  
"This is so weird," Reagan muttered. "But I am glad I got to meet you, Sirius. I've heard a lot about you from Daddy and from Uncle Remus. And there are pictures of you at home."   
  
"It was nice to meet you Reagan," Sirius said and bent down to her. "When you're dead, one of the things you can do is watch and see how everyone carries on when your not there."   
  
"We've watched you from the time you were born, Sirius, your Grandmum Lily and I all have," Grandpa James said. "We've been your guardian angels in a way. Please know that we are always with you. If you ever want to talk to someone, talk to the air, we always hear."   
  
"I will," Reagan replied and gave each of them a hug. "Thank you."   
  
"Well, Harry," Sirius said, standing up. He shook her father's hand before pulling him into a hug. "I never said good bye before, and I really don't want to say it now."   
  
"I know, Sirius," Harry said. He shook his father's had and hugged him too. "Tell Mum that I send my love."   
  
"I will, Harry," Grandpa James said. Reagan had the feeling that her father had met his parents before, but she knew that wasn't possible. They had died when he was one year old, there was no way he could have known them.   
  
"Well Padfoot old friend," Grandpa James said to Sirius. "We'd best be going."   
  
"You're probably right, Prongs," Sirius replied. "Good bye you two."   
  
"Reagan?" she heard her name. She opened her eyes. Her father was gone, Sirius and Grandpa James were gone, the battle was gone. She was standing in the trophy room with her finger one Sirius' name.   
  
"What did you say?" Darenn asked. Reagan turned and looked to him. James and Erika were along the side wall, looking for Harry's name and Professor Lupin was standing in the doorway, watching her.   
  
"What?" she asked, finding her voice.   
  
"You said something a moment ago," Darenn said.   
  
"Oh," Reagan replied thinking back. She had been in that memory for at least ten minutes, but no time had passed when she had returned. "I um... 'When in doubt, wag your tail'."   
  
"Whats that mean?" Darenn asked.   
  
"It says it under Sirius' name," Reagan replied, blinking a few times to regain herself.   
  
"All seventh years are asked to give a quote that means something to them, something of a goodbye quote," Professor Lupin explained.   
  
"Mine was 'It is our choices in life that show us who we really are, not our actions.' Dad said it to me once," James said.   
  
Professor Lupin glanced at his watch. "Well, Darenn and Reagan, I've got to get you back, or McGonagall will have my head."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Do you think I'm terribly weird now?" Reagan asked Trevor. He smiled at her.   
  
"Reagan I though you were terribly weird before I knew all of this," he answered. "But this just makes you even more incredible."   
  
Reagan didn't even fight down her blush this time.   
  
"Thank you," she sighed. "For listening to me ramble."   
  
"I told you I was here if you ever needed me," he said.   
  
"I know, I just never took you seriously."   
  
"Does Josie or Cal know about any of this?" he asked.   
  
"Nope," Reagan said, shaking her head. "Josie doesn't fit in very well with the rest of her family, and I'm afraid that if I told her I had this Connection then it would make her realize that she doesn't have one. It would be another way she would think she doesn't belong in her family."   
  
"I was surprised when she went to Gryffindor," Trevor said.   
  
"She's nothing like her brothers or the other Slytherins. Well she has the mean streak if you get on her bad side, and she's sly and sneaky sometimes, but she's defiantly not a Slytherin."   
  
"Reagan, I'm a Slytherin."   
  
"I know, but you don't _act_ like the other Slytherins either."   
  
"I'm not cunning and sly and manipulative?"''   
  
"No, and your not rude or self absorbed and you don't hate Potters," Reagan paused. "Why is that? Why don't you dislike my family?"   
  
"Lets leave that story for another time, shall we?" he laughed. "We don't have time for that one."   
  
"All right," she replied and stood up to leave.   
  
"But I do have something to ask you before we go to the kitchens. Wait, do you know where they are?"   
  
Reagan grinned. "Yes I do. But its a secret."   
  
"Oh _do _tell."   
  
"I'll have to get something from my dormitory first to properly show you," she said.   
  
"Can I ask you something first?" he asked.   
  
"I've just told you one of my deepest secrets; you can ask me anything."   
  
"Will you go to Winter Ball with me?" He looked at her, and she felt her heart fall to her toes. She stared back at him for a few moments before allowing her face to break into a grin.   
  
"Really?" she asked and he nodded. "Yes, yes! Of course!"   
  
"Really? You really want to?" he asked, matching her grin.   
  
"Yes I do," she replied, nodding.   
  
"All right then," Trevor said and they walked out of the library.   
  
That night, after the Gryffindor victory party, Reagan thought of what Sirius had said to her, but she had left it out of what she had told Trevor.   
  
_ "You're probably right, Prongs," Sirius replied. "Oh and Reagan, you can trust the dark haired fellow, even if he is a Slytherin."   
  
"Trevor?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah, and he might have some of the same type of secrets that you have," Grandpa James said. "Trust us, we know."   
  
Reagan nodded. "Okay, thanks."   
  
"Bye you two," Sirius said._   
  
Reagan snuggled into her bed, pulling her down comforter over her. She slept soundly and woke the next morning with the vague memory of her dream where she was dressed in a big white gown, looking at a man with dark hair and wondering why Josie wasn't standing beside her.   
  
  
_ A/N: Ya'll got another long one from me. It wasn't as long as the last one, but its longer than normal. Hmmm, do I smell a bit of romance blooming in the library here? Just so you all know, you won't see Reagan and Trevor as a couple in this fic, and maybe not ever. Sorry, I haven't quite decided. But I would like to know what you think, especially about the little pairing of my own characters. Leave me a review so I know what you think!!! ~EE  
  
_


	11. Chapter 11: Trevor Daniels

  
  
**Chapter Eleven: Trevor Daniels**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Like I could actaully get away with that!   
  
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. We're about half way done folks. Now is when the fun begins._   
Harry sat in a Muggle cafe, anxiously waiting for Hermione. He checked his watch again, and she still had eight minutes, though it was like Hermione to be early. He quietly cast a Silencing Charm around the booth he sat in, knowing he would forget about it later. He didn't need any Muggles overhearing them, or worse, a witch or wizard who happened to be in the cafe.   
  
He hadn't mentioned to Ginny what had happened Halloween night, nor had he owled Reagan about it. He knew it had happened. He knew she would be freaked out, but somehow he knew she had talked to someone about it.   
  
He wanted to talk to Hermione about it, mainly because she knew something about everything. But he didn't want Ginny to get upset about it and frankly he didn't want her to see him get upset about it. Besides, it was between him and Reagan, there was nothing his wife could do.   
  
Getting an owl to Hermione had been hard, especially because the day after Halloween was a Saturday. Neither Harry or Hermione would be at work, Ron would be home and Harry didn't want Ron to know about any of this either.   
  
Harry sighed. Five minutes to go. Luck must have been on his side lately, because he didn't need to secretly owl Hermione; she, Ron and their twins had come over for dinner Saturday night and he was able to ask her to meet with him, privately.   
  
"Harry!" Hermione called as she came into the cafe. He smiled at her and stood up.   
  
"Thank you so much," he said to her and gave her a hug.   
  
Hermione laughed, pulling her scarf off her neck. "Don't ever mock my reading habits again, Harry Potter."   
  
"Yes ma'am," he replied. The waitress came and gave them menus and took their drink orders. Harry hasn't been in a Muggle shop of any kind in a really long time. Hermione picked up on this and ordered him a coffee she knew he would like.   
  
Harry sat and looked at her, eager to tell her what had happened. Hermione didn't seem to eager to get into that conversation as she was complaining about her new secretary.   
  
"And she says Ma'am in way that just drives me insane," Hermione said, sipping her tea. "And you know that I am not one to pick apart people, I mean I married Ron, but this woman, I just don't know what to do with her. Harry are you all right?"   
  
Harry dropped his glazed over look and nodded.   
  
"What was so important that you had to meet me in Muggle London, and neither Ginny or Ron could know?"   
  
"I...I met my father."   
  
"Harry, your father is dead," Hermione stated.   
  
"I know that. But I met him. I saw him. I saw Sirius. And Reagan was there too."   
  
"Harry, you're not making sense," Hermione said.   
  
Harry sighed again. He then launched into the story of what had happened Halloween night, from not being able to go to Hogwarts with James and Erika to showing Ginny Sirius' wand, then how he fell and landed in his own memory and his father was there. Hermione sat, listening intently to Harry as he told his tale, not interrupting him.   
  
"So you and Reagan found out to control your Connection from a....._memory?_" Hermione asked as he finished.   
  
"Basically," Harry replied. "My father and Sirius told us what was going wrong and how to fix it."   
  
"Well then why did you need to meet with me?" Hermione asked. "You already have your answers."   
  
"You don't think I've lost my mind?" he asked. "I mean I met my father."   
  
"No, Harry," Hermione replied. "I don't think you've lost your mind. I learned, especially after our first year, that there is little that will surprise me. Nothing comes as a shock. Most things I've seen should not be possible, according to the laws of physics and yet I've seen them. I've seen you fly on a broom. I've seen McGonagall change into a cat. I've seen a war that was unlike any war I had ever read about. So this, you meeting your father and your godfather in a memory, that is almost normal."   
  
"You're right," Harry said. "When Reagan comes home for Christmas, we'll work with our Connection. We'll have to do it while we're at the same place, I don't want her to panic."   
  
"Or you," Hermione said.   
  
"Or me," Harry admitted.   
  
"Have you heard from Reagan?" Hermione asked.   
  
Harry shook his head. "I haven't owled her and she hasn't owled me."   
  
"Are you sure she's okay?"   
  
"Well, my father and Sirius told her she could trust..." Harry stopped. He wasn't thrilled for Reagan to seek comfort in a Slytherin.   
  
"Are you going to finish your sentence?" Hermione asked.   
  
"They told her she could trust Trevor Daniels," Harry said.   
  
"What's so wrong with that?"   
  
"Trevor is a Slytherin Prefect, a year above Reagan."   
  
"Honestly," Hermione said. "Just because the boy is in Slytherin gives you no reason not to like him. You never know, he may prove you wrong."   
  
"He probably will," Harry said. "But its also Reagan, and I'm not sure I like the idea of her having boyfriends."   
  
"No one ever said that Trevor is going to be her boyfriend. They could just be close friends. You know, the kind where you can meet secretly for lunch without either person's spouse knowing."   
  
Harry laughed. "I guess you're right."   
  
Hermione smiled. "I always am."   
  
"Ginny taught me quick," Harry said. "Knowing when to admit you're wrong was one of the first things I learned."   
  
"Now Harry, you only admit when you are wrong around Ginny or I. I've seen you argue with women in your office numerous times."   
  
"That is only because I can pull rank on them," Harry grinned. Their food arrived at the precise moment, and Harry looked hungrily at his roast beef sandwich. They ate in silence for a few moments till Hermione asked a question that rattled the both of them.   
  
"Harry, do you know who Trevor's parents are?"   
  
Harry shrugged. "Mr. and Mrs. Daniels?"   
  
"I knew that the name Daniels sounded familiar," Hermione began. "I just realized where I had heard it before. After I was in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, I was in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."   
  
"Hermione, I don't need your resume," Harry said.   
  
"Corbin and Celia Daniels were Death Eaters," Hermione said. "You caught them, and you put them in Azkaban."   
  
"Hermione, I put a lot of Death Eaters in prison."   
  
"I remember this case though," she continued. "I remember being furious and disgusted that someone could do that to another person. Do you remember the attack on the Grahams in Dover?"   
  
Harry shuddered. "How could I forget. We came in towards the end. I have never seen so much... carnage in a wizarding murder. It was horrible."   
  
"There were children murdered that night," Hermione said. "And the two that survived won't ever leave St. Mungo's Psychiatric Ward."   
  
"So the Daniels were there?"   
  
"The Daniels were there, yes, they were the only ones there, but they got away. You apprehended them in a smaller attack a few weeks later. That was a couple months after Caitlin was born, so Reagan was about six months old. Trevor was taken from his parents then because they were unsuitable to be parents and also because they were going Azkaban. He went to live with his father's cousin."   
  
"Hermione, how do you remember all of this?" Harry asked. "It was fourteen years ago."   
  
"I remember because the woman in the cubicle next to mine had to call the cousins to tell them what had happened. She was so upset about it, I felt so bad for the poor girl, I couldn't believe they put that responsibility on our shoulders."   
  
"Well, you were in a social position in the Department," Harry said. "Thats why those positions are, there."   
  
"I understand that now," Hermione said. "Anyway, he went to live with Mathew and Sarah Daniels, and neither of them were Slytherins. Mathew was a Ravenclaw and Sarah was a Hufflepuff, in Percy's year."   
  
"Hermione, why does all this matter?" Harry asked.   
  
"Because, Reagan and Trevor might be able to talk to each other and talk out their problems. Reagan having problems with her Connection, Trevor having problems being a Slytherin that shouldn't be a Slytherin."   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Reagan sat alone in the library, and was beginning to get annoyed with her Ancient Ruins homework. It was a beautiful day...outside. And it was also a Hogsmead weekend. Josie and Cal had taken advantage of the nice weather to go into the only wizarding town in England, but Reagan had decided to stay behind. She needed to get through this assignment. She had Quidditch practice in four hours, and it might take her about that long to finish it.   
  
She had missed breakfast because she had woken up late. Maybe if she had gone to bed sooner then she wouldn't have slept in, but then she would have missed the Gryffindor victory party. After talking to Trevor in the library, she had almost forgotten that she had played Quidditch earlier that day and won. She had to postpone their raiding the kitchens date because when she returned to the Gryffindor common room, she was pulled inside by Darenn and Logan. She apologized to Trevor quickly and he was nice about it. But she promised him she'd show him the kitchens.   
  
As she thought about the kitchens, her stomach began to quietly rumble. She had eaten lunch quickly and came straight to the library, saying good bye to Josie and Cal at the front doors.   
  
"Where have I seen this symbol before?" Reagan muttered to herself. She was surrounded by books, big leather bound ones with ancient writings on the covers. She pulled one into her lap and began to flip through the pages. "Well it looks like that one, I wonder if they're related..."   
  
Reagan scribbled something onto her parchment and closed the book. As she compared the symbols and tried to translate the text, she was suddenly aware that someone was watching her.   
  
She slowly looked up from her parchment and jumped.   
  
"Trevor!" she exclaimed, clutching her heart. "You scared me."   
  
"Sorry," he said and sat down next to her. "How come you're not in Hogsmead?"   
  
"I should ask you the same thing," Reagan replied. "I didn't go because Josie and Cal looked like they wanted to go by themselves, and I have this to finish before practice. What's your excuse?"   
  
"This looks massive," he replied, looking at her work. "Need any help?"   
  
"Do you take Ancient Ruins?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah, I do," he replied. "I'm not too bad at it."   
  
"Well then please, by all means, help me!"   
  
Trevor laughed. "Well, you're on the right track, you had the right idea with that symbol you just looked up."   
  
"How long have you been watching me?" she asked.   
  
"Not long. But I mutter to myself when I study too."   
  
"Thats reassuring," she replied. "So I was right with this one? This eagle like thing?"   
  
"Yeah, see where it fits into this text?" He pointed to another open book on the table, and it clicked in Reagan's head.   
  
"Of course! I grabbed this book because they were written by similar authors, I mean this is by Ahmadzai, and he was a student of Mirwais, so of course the symbols would be similar!"   
  
"See, sometimes, two heads are better than one," Trevor said to her.   
  
"I'll give you that one," she replied, as her quill scratched at the parchment. "You didn't answer m question."   
  
"What question?"   
  
"The one asking why you didn't go to Hogsmead."   
  
Oh," Trevor said. "I had to ask Professor Lupin a question, and it took longer than I expected."   
  
"Professor Lupin doesn't have office hours during the weekend," Reagan replied.   
  
"You're right, he doesn't," Trevor said. "You would know that."   
  
"So why didn't you go?"   
  
"I met with Professor Lupin."   
  
Reagan looked up at him. "We just went over that, how could you meet with him if he didn't have office hours?"   
  
"I made an appointment."   
  
"He only meets with me and Darenn on weekends," Reagan said.   
  
"I had to talk to him about something."   
  
"Why couldn't you talk to Professor Parkinson? Isn't she the Head of your House?"   
  
"Yes, she is," Trevor replied. "But she wasn't here. She had a family emergency and left Thursday night. Friday during dinner I asked Professor Lupin if he knew when she would be back and he said I was welcome to talk to him."   
  
"Oh," Reagan said and looked back at her parchment. "Sorry for not believing you."   
  
"Thats all right," Trevor chuckled. "My aunt is the only person who's ever drilled me like that."   
  
"Your aunt?" Reagan asked, pulling another book towards her.   
  
"Yeah, my aunt," Trevor replied. "Well, she's not technically my aunt. But I call her Aunt Sarah."   
  
"Kind of like how Professor Lupin isn't technically my uncle?"   
  
"Kind of. I live with my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matt. My Uncle Matt is my father's cousin."   
  
"Why don't you live with your parents?" Reagan asked, finding the symbol she was looking for and writing it into her translation.   
  
"Because they're in Azkaban," Trevor said.   
  
Reagan looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."   
  
"It's all right," he replied. "Now you do. Besides, I don't think of them as my parents. I haven't seem them since I was one."   
  
"You have a lot in common with my father," Reagan said.   
  
"You know how you asked me why I respected your family?"Trevor asked. "When no other Slytherins do?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Do you want to know the reason?"   
  
"I don't know, do I?" Reagan asked, putting her quill down.   
  
"You asked the question," he said.   
  
"I want to know," Reagan said, not wanting to her put her foot in her mouth three times in one afternoon.   
  
"Your father arrested my parents," Trevor said. "My parents were horrible people, and most people don't like to admit that about their parents. Fact, if I said that to a Slytherin, it would be considered heretical. But they did horrible things to innocent people."   
  
"I'm sorry," Reagan said. She really didn't know what else to say.   
  
"I'm quite grateful to your father for putting them away for life," Trevor said. "For putting as many Death Eaters as he could away."   
  
"Your parents were Death Eaters?"   
  
Trevor nodded. "Yeah, but not very high ranked ones. They were no where close to Voldemort's inner circle. They were just there for volume."   
  
"How do you know all of this?"   
  
"My aunt and uncle," Trevor replied. "And my parents send me letters."   
  
"They send you letters?"   
  
"They don't anymore, fact I doubt they know who they are by now. But I got letters till I was about four. I couldn't read them then, but my aunt kept them. After I got sorted into Slytherin, she sent them to me. I had no idea about who or what my parents were, and was frankly confused when I got sorted where I did. After I read their letters, and I learned who they were, I realized that the Sorting Hat must have seen some of that in me."   
  
"But Trevor, you're not like that," Reagan said. "Like I told you yesterday, you're not like the other Slytherins."   
  
"For a while I thought I was sorted correctly, especially after I read the letters. But after a few months, I realized why I got sorted where I did. The Sorting Hat saw my Slytherin blood line and it saw my ambition. Once I realized why I was in Slytherin, it made it easier to do well in Slytherin. I submerged myself in my studies and made friends outside of Slytherin."   
  
"Everyone does like you," Reagan commented.   
  
Trevor laughed. "Well, I'm friends with more people that are not in Slytherin than I am with people in my own house. I don't get along with other Slytherins."   
  
"I remember seeing you with Arden Lumbard, that day in the hall."   
  
"That kid needs to have a reality check," Trevor said. "He's an idiot."   
  
"But still, I saw the way he looked at you," Reagan replied. "He hates you."   
  
"Arden and I don't get along," Trevor said. "There are few Slytherins I do get along with. I get along with the guys in my year enough to make it livable. And the other Prefects respect me, though they may not agree with me. The Professors respect me because they judge me on my academics, me for me, not for who my parents were or what house I'm in."   
  
"I never thought about you being in Slytherin," Reagan said. "I just don't realize it. I mean, I realize that Josie is a Malfoy, and that my cousin Ethan is my Uncle Percy's son, because he acts just like his father, and Josie has the same attitudes about some things like her father does, but I never think of you as a Slytherin."   
  
"I don't think of myself as one," Trevor said. "I could care less if we win at Quidditch, I actually like watching Gryffindor play better. At least you guys have talent. And I don't like earning House points, but I always do, somehow."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Too bad it doesn't help. Slytherin has been last in the House Cup for the past three years."   
  
"Don't remind me," Trevor said. "Thats one thing that Professor Parkinson drills into us."   
  
"Professor Lupin never says anything to us about House points. We just get them."   
  
"So maybe my Head of House should take a lesson from your Head of House?"   
  
"I think that sounds about right," Reagan giggled.   
  
"I'll suggest that to her," Trevor laughed. "And I'll tell her it was your idea."   
  
"She doesn't like me as it is," Reagan said. "Why not just add to it?"   
  
"Good point!" Trevor laughed.   
  
"Please!" Madame Pince loudly whispered at them. "This is a library!"   
  
"Sorry!" Reagan whispered.   
  
"Are you done with that yet?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Just about, I have a few more lines."   
  
"How about you finish, and then we can do that kitchen thing like we planned."   
  
Reagan smiled. "All right."   
  
Twenty minutes later, Reagan and Trevor left the library and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.   
  
"You know, I always wondered where the Gryffindor's lived," Trevor said.   
  
"Maybe you shouldn't come then," Reagan replied, looking around nervously.   
  
"Come on, Reagan," he laughed. "What about me gives you the impression that I'd go and tell everyone?"   
  
"Well, nothing, but--"   
  
"Reagan, you can trust me," Trevor said.   
  
_You can trust the dark haired fellow, even if he is a Slytherin._ Sirius' words echoed in her head and she nodded.   
  
"All right," she replied. He followed her up the staircases that lead towards her dormitory, and down the hallway.   
  
"Password?" the fat lady asked. Reagan glanced at Trevor, and then back at the portrait. _You'd better be right, Sirius, _she thought. _I'm trusting him._   
  
"Monopoly Man," Reagan said to the portrait that guarded the entrance. The fat lady nodded and swung open.   
  
"Monopoly Man?" Trevor asked.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "I think its a Muggle game."   
  
"I'm not used to such a... pleasant word."   
  
"Well, we're going into a pleasant House," Reagan replied. Trevor nodded and followed Reagan into the Gryffindor common room.   
  
  
_ A/N: So I must apologize to all who find this chapter boring. My sister did. But it is needed information and I like it. Trevor has become one of my favorite characters and not because he fancies Reagan. But please review, its great to hear what you all think. ~EE  
_


	12. Chapter 12: Same Kind Of Secrets

  
  
**Chapter Twelve: Same Kind Of Secrets**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I think I had a dream about that once though......   
  
A/N: Sorry about the delay, I went on vacation and I thought I'd have an internet connection, but I didn't. But I'm back and uploading again! _   
"Wait here," Reagan said to Trevor. She took a few steps towards the staircase that lead to her dormitory and stopped. "Maybe you should come with me."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Well if someone comes in then they might not enjoy seeing a Slytherin standing in the common room."   
  
"And if someone comes into your room they might not enjoy seeing a fifth year Slytherin Prefect standing in a fourth year Gryffindor's bedroom."   
  
"True," Reagan replied. "But if someone does come in, it'll be easier to sneak you out of here if you were in my room."   
  
"Reagan, what are you talking about?"   
  
"Just come on," she said and grabbed his arm. She pulled him up to her room, pausing at the door to make sure none of the girls in her year were there.   
  
"They're all at Hogsmeade," Reagan said and opened the door wider and Trevor followed her into the room.   
  
"Which bed is yours?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Oh, um..." Reagan said. "This one is mine, the one to the left of it is Josie's and the one on the other side is Caitlin's."   
  
"I just didn't want to sit on someone else's bed," Trevor said, sittin on her bed. Reagan dropped her book bag on the floor by her nightstand and opened her trunk. Pushing parchment and quills aside, she pulled out a silvery iridescent cloak and an old piece of parchment.   
  
"Is that what I think it is?" Trevor asked, eyeing her cloak.   
  
"Trevor Daniels, meet Betsy," Reagan said, handing him her cloak.   
  
"Betsy?" he asked.   
  
"Well an invisibility cloak has got to have a name," Reagan explained. "Or else someone will find out you have one. If you say lets go get Betsy, no one knows what you're talking about."   
  
"You are an odd individual, Reagan Potter," Trevor replied, shaking his head. "May I put it on?"   
  
"Go for it," Reagan replied.   
  
Trevor stood up and put the cloak over his shoulders. The hem barely dusted the floor, and he pulled the hood over his head.   
  
"Am I invisible?" he asked.   
  
"Well it is an invisibility cloak, Trevor," she replied. "Of course you are."   
  
"So you can't see me?" he asked.   
  
"Nope," she said. "But I can tell where you are."   
  
"How?"   
  
"I can hear your voice."   
  
"Where am I now?"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes. "Standing beside Josie's bed."   
  
"How about now?"   
  
"Honestly, Trevor," Reagan said. "You walked over to Caitlin's bed."   
  
"Wow, you are good," he said. She thought she heard him whisper something, but she couldn't make out what he said.   
  
"Trevor, aren't you hungry?"   
  
"I ate lunch," he replied. "Don't you mean to say that you're getting hungry?"   
  
Reagan turned towards the sound of his voice. "Yes, thats exactly what I mean."   
  
"Where am I now?" he asked. Reagan shook her head. The game seemed a bit childish, but she was enjoying it.   
  
"You're right by the door," she said to him.   
  
"Wrong," he replied and pulled the hood off his head. His face was inches from her's, beaming at her.   
  
"How did you do that?" she asked, jumping back.   
  
Trevor laughed. "A simple Voice Throwing Charm." His mouth moved with the words, but the sound came from near Lane's bed, close to the door. "Its a handy little spell I picked up in Advanced Charms._ Nox._ Do you want to get lunch now?"   
  
"Yes, please," Reagan replied.   
  
"Yes ma'am," Trevor chuckled and pulled Betsy off of him. "Lead the way."   
  
Reagan took her cloak from him and grabbed the old parchment, stuffing both items into her bag. No one was in the common room when they left, and they didn't meet anyone down the hallway either.   
  
"So why did we need your invisibility cloak and a piece of old parchment to go to the kitchens?" Trevor asked.   
  
"The invisibility cloak was in case someone was in the common room when we came down," Reagan explained. "And this isn't just a bit of old parchemnt." She tapped the paper with her wand and said, _"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."_   
  
"Whoa," Trevor said as the lines on the map magically appeared.   
  
"My Grandpa James and his friends made this map when they were at school. They were Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail. My Grandpa was Prongs, Sirius Black was Padfoot and Peter Petegrew was Wormtail. Those were their Animagus nicknames."   
  
"Who was Moony?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Professor Lupin."   
  
"No way," Trevor said. "Professor Lupin is an Animagus?"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes. "No, he's not, he's a werewolf."   
  
"Professor Lupin is a werewolf?"   
  
"Can you honestly tell me you didn't know that?"   
  
Trevor shrugged. "I've heard rumors and he is always ill around a full moon, but I never thought to believe it."   
  
"Well its true," Reagan said. "He was best friends with my Grandpa James and Sirius Black. Petegrew was a Death Eater."   
  
"I thought his name sounded familiar," Trevor said. "It must have been in one of those letters."   
  
"Well they all made this map. Its a detailed map of Hogwarts, and it shows where people are," Reagan explained. Professor Lupin could also be seen pacing his office, and Professor McGonagall was out by the lake. Reagan assumed she must be enjoying the sunshine, and chasing butterflies as well because she was moving around rather quickly.   
  
"Where are we?" Trevor asked.   
  
Reagan looked at the map and noticed that in the place that she and Trevor were standing were two little dots, one labeled Sammy and the other labeled Moussey.   
  
"Why does it say Sammy?" Trevor asked and Reagan stared at the map. She had never noticed this before, when had the map changed to her Animagus name? Professor Lupin wasn't labeled as Moony, so why was she. And why did it say Moussey? If Sammy was her Animagus nickname, then.....   
  
"Trevor are you an Animagus?" she asked him, looking up from the parchment. Trevor's face went white, and his eyes got big.   
  
"I....I...."   
  
"You are!" Reagan exclaimed. "Thats why it says Moussey, its your Animagus name."   
  
"Reagan, I don't think we should talk about this in the middle of the hall," Trevor said. "You don't know who could hear us and--"   
  
"No one is here, silly, look at the map. No one is even near us."   
  
"Reagan I still don't think we should--"   
  
"When did you do it?" she asked. "What are you? Does Professor Lupin know? Is that why you had to talk to him? Now I understand what Grandpa James meant about you having the same secrets I do!"   
  
Trevor sighed. "Reagan please could we talk about this somewhere else?"   
  
"Oh all right," she replied. "Lets get some food and then you can talk." She lead the way to the kitchens. Trevor was a bit impressed that she knew so much about the school as she did. The house elves were more than happy to get them something to eat and soon they had a basket filled with cookies, fruit and other snacks. Reagan thanked them and she and Trevor went down to the lake. Finding a patch of shade up against a tree, they sat down and began to enjoy their picinic feast.   
  
"Talk," Reagan said, handing Trevor a apple turnover.   
  
"Yes I am an Animagus. That is why I went to talk to Professor Lupin," Trevor said. "I was going to ask Professor Parkinson about how to get registered, but she wasn't here, so I talked to Professor Lupin about it and he helped me with what I needed."   
  
"Why would you want to be registered?" Reagan asked. "That would take all the fun out of it."   
  
"Because I wanted to do it the right way," Trevor replied. "I showed him my transformation and he gave me the address to write for registration papers."   
  
"But if you get registered, then anyone can look up the list and know what you are," Reagan said. "There are only fifteen people on the list; Headmistress Mcgonagall is one of them. So if I could look it up then anyone could."   
  
"Why did you look it up?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Professor Lupin told me to," she replied.   
  
"We didn't have to look it up when we started our Animagus studies," Trevor said.   
  
"It was for an independent study type of thing," Reagan said.   
  
"You did an independent study on Aminagi?" Trevor asked her and she nodded. "Why?"   
  
"Because I wanted to try it," Reagan replied.   
  
"Oh, well thats cool," Trevor said. "If you ever need any help, let me know."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Trevor, I really don't need any help."   
  
"Its no problem, Reagan," Trevor insisted. "I know how hard it was to accomplish it, and I am a year ahead of you. It took me the better part of two years to get it down."   
  
Reagan laughed again. "Trevor, did Professor Lupin tell you to talk to me about this?"   
  
"Well not exactly, he only said that you and I had an interst in the same things."   
  
"Trevor, I started my Aminagi study last spring," Reagan replied. "I accomplished it about two months ago."   
  
"You what?!" Trevor cried. "Are you kidding me?"   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Nope."   
  
"Reagan, thats incredible," Trevor said.   
  
"Thank you," she replied.   
  
"I am amazed," Trevor said. "It took me two years, it took you five months."   
  
"Well, I had help," she replied. "Professor Lupin and my brother and my dad."   
  
"Darenn can do it too?"   
  
"No, not Darenn, James."   
  
"So what were you saying about my Animagus name?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Oh, it said Moussey on the map," Reagan explained.   
  
"Thats what I call myself when I'm an Amimagus," Trevor replied. "So no one finds out. sort of like your Betsy thing."   
  
Reagan giggled. "Why Moussey? I mean mine is Sammy because my breed is a Samaoyed."   
  
"Sammy for Samoyed? Thats original."   
  
"Well it was better than James and Erika's. James was Leo because he looks like a leopard, and Erika's is Ebony because she's a big black wolf."   
  
"Lane's ssister? Your brother's girlfriend I met yesterday?" Trevor asked.   
  
Reagan bit her lip and nodded. "You can't say anything, Trevor."   
  
"I won't," Trevor laughed. "But mine is Moussey because I'm a chocolate lab. Moussey, like choclate mousse."   
  
"It was hard to come up with a name," Reagan said. "James sort of put me on the spot."   
  
"I like Sammy," Trevor replied. "I had mine within the first two weeks. I thought I would change it at first, but then it stuck."   
  
"It works," Reagan replied. "We'll have to play together sometime."   
  
"Play?"   
  
"You know, as dogs. It could be fun."   
  
Trevor smiled. "All right then. Its a date."   
  
Reagan smiled back and glanced down at her pastry to hide her excitement. She didn't know that Trevor could still see her ears get pink. She had her mother to thank for that trait.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Mrs. Potter?" Ginny looked up from the parchemnt she was grading to see a little girl stanfding att the edge of the desk, rocking on her heels.   
  
"Yes Tabatha?" Ginny asked, smiling at the sandy haired girl.   
  
"Is it true you went to the Yule Ball with my Daddy?"   
  
"Yes thats very true," Ginny replied. "Your Daddy was very nice to ask me to go and I had a wonderful time."   
  
"Seric didn't believe me," she said, glancing back at her table. A darked haired frecklked boy ducked his head.   
  
"Well you can tell Seric that your Daddy took me to the Yule Ball in my third year."   
  
"Was that when Harry Potter was a Champion?!" Tabatha asked, remebering their last lesson.   
  
"Yes, just like we talked about in class. During the Tri-wizard Tournament, when Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Victor Krum and Fluer Delacour were all Tri-wizard champions."   
  
"That is so exciting that you knew Harry Potter!" she exclaimed.   
  
Ginny laughed, rembering how she had been at Tabatha's age. When Ginny was nine, she knew the legend of Harry Potter and wanted to know everything about him. Had she been this excited?   
  
"Yes, Tabatha, I know Harry Potter. Your daddy does too. He slept in the same room with Harry for seven years."   
  
"Your dad knows Harry Potter?" another boy asked.   
  
Tabatha nodded. "My daddy says Harry Potter is one of the nicest mens he knows."   
  
"My dad knew Harry Potter," Seric said.   
  
"I don't think Harry Potter would like your dad though," Tabatha replied.   
  
Ginny shook her head. She could see the future Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalries blosoming right here in her classroom, before they were even sorted. She could tell that Tabatha Longbottom and Seric Baddock would not be best friends at Hogwarts, more like the exact opposite..   
  
"Now Tabatha, I'm sure Harry liked everyone, or he was at least polite to them," Ginny said.   
  
"Mrs. Potter, was Harry Potter a nice man?" Tabatha asked.   
  
Ginny nodded. "One of the nicest I've ever known. He's even nice to people he doens't like."   
  
"Do you know Harry Potter now?" she asked and Ginny had to blink a couple times to make sure she heard her correctly.   
  
"Well yes, Tabatha," Ginny replied. "I married Harry Potter."   
  
"You're _married_ to Harry Potter?!" Tabatha cried, her eyes wide in shock. "That is so cool! Thats why your name is Mrs. Potter!"   
  
"Well it was Weasley before it was Potter," Ginny replied.   
  
"You were a Weasley?! Do you know Minister Weasley?"   
  
Ginny had to stop ehrself from laughing. "Yes, I know the minister. She's a very good friend of mine also. I've known her almost as long as I've known Harry Potter."   
  
"Wow," Tabatha wispered. Ginny shook her head as her students lined up to go to lunch.   
  
Sometime later, Ginny was sitting in her classroom, grading the last of the spelling tests. Smiling, she marked a large 100% on the top of Tabatha's paper in green sparkly ink.   
  
"Is there a reason you're using emerald green?"   
  
Starlted, Ginny looked up and saw Ron smiing at her.   
  
"No," she stated. "I've always liked green."   
  
"Sure," Ron replied, rolling his eyes.   
  
"What do you need, Ron?"   
  
"I was just stopping by to see my baby sister," Ron replied. "Is that so bad?"   
  
"Ronald. I haven't been your baby sister is over twenty years," Ginny said.   
  
"Aw, Gin, you'll always be my baby sister!" Ron cried. "Mine and Bill's and Charlie's and Percy's and George's and ..." Ron stopped and Ginny looked up at him again. They both sat in awkward silence for a moment, neither one wanting to aknowledge the fact that Ron had almost said Fred's name.   
  
"Well anyway, you're still my sister, Ginny."   
  
"I know Ron."   
  
"So do you know where Harry and Hemrione are?" Ron asked.   
  
"Um, at work?"   
  
"Well, in a way," Ron replied. "I wanted to have lunch with my wife today, and when I went to her office she wasn't there. She had a last minute lunch penciled into her schedule."   
  
"She's the Minsiter of Magic, Ron," Ginny reminded him. "She will have lunch appointments."   
  
"I didn't think anything of it at first. So then I went to see if Harry wanted to go to lunch, and he had a last minute lunch meeting scheduled as well."   
  
"Ron, I don't see what you're getting at."   
  
"Ginny, Harry and Hermione are having lunch together."   
  
"So? They _are_ friends."   
  
"Well, Hermione didn't say anything to me about it," Ron said. "Did Harry mention to you that he was having lunch with Hermione?"   
  
"No," Ginny replied. "Honestly, Ron, why is this such a big deal? Harry and Hemrione have the two highest clearance levels in Britian, so maybe they couldn't mention it to us that they were eating lunch together."   
  
"They went to a Muggle restaurant," Ron said.   
  
"So? Ron, I don't see what the big deal is."   
  
"Don't you think its odd?" Ron asked. "I mean, we were never kept out of the loop."   
  
"Ron, I trust my husband, and you trust your wife."   
  
"Ginny! I wasn't thinking Hermione was cheeting on me, and especially with Harry! I just want to know whats going on and why they didn't tell us about it."   
  
"Ron, they probably can't tell us."   
  
"Ask Harry about it tonight, then," Ron said. "And ask him why both he and Hermione had books like this." He dumped four large leather bound books onto her desk.   
  
"_Magical Connections; The Legend of the Connection of Three; The Connection of Three and Why Am I Reading This?_ and _How do I Control My Daughter When She Can Read My Mind? A Guide to A Connection of Three._" Ginny read the names of the books. "Ron, where did you get these?"   
  
"Three of them were in Hermione's office, and that last one was in Harry's office."   
  
"You went into their offices?" Ginny asked.   
  
"That doens't matter," Ron said. "But they're meeting at a last minute lunch, neither of us knew, and before hand, they both did reading about a magical connection that your husband has with your daughter."   
  
"I don't know Ron," Ginny said, wondering if her brother was right. "I'll ask Harry about it, all right?"   
  
"I guess that all we can do," Ron replied. "I just want to know why they kept us out of this one."   
  
"Daddy!" a little girl cried. Ron turned and saw his twin son and daughter run towards him.   
  
"Hey!" he cried. He bent down to their level and hugged them.   
  
"Did you come to pick us up?" the red headed little girl asked.   
  
"No Abby, I didn't," Ron said and their faces fell.   
  
"What, is Miss Zambini's class all that bad, Andy?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Oh no Auntie Ginny!" Andy replied.   
  
Ginny smiled as the rest of her class came back in. Cara and Tara Weasley, Geroge's twin girls, also came in to say hello to their uncle. Tara was in Ginny's class with Abby, and Cara was in Miss Zambini's class, with Andy. Headmistress Spinnet thought it best to seperate as many Weasley twins as possible.   
  
"I'll talk to Harry tonight, Ron," Ginny said as her class was still streaming into the room.   
  
"All right," he replied. He kissed his sister on the cheek and then went back to his own job, leaving both of them to wonder.   
_ A/N: To let you all know, Moussey is not pronounced "mouse-ey;" its "moose-ey." Mouse-ey would be spelled Mousey, not Moussey. I just wanted to clear that up. If anyone has any other questions about pronunciations, you can check "Secrets that were Kept, Chapter Seventeen: How Far Off Could You Be?" That has a pronunciation guide on it. Read and Review please!!!~EE _


	13. Chapter 13: Thoughts of a Prefect

  
  
**Chapter Thirteen: Thoughts of a Prefect**   
_Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be cool if I owned Harry Potter? Too bad its not true.   
  
A/N: This is your fluff warning. I highly advise that if you do not have a stomach for the stuff then you take some Pepto Bismal to keep your lunch down. Parts of this chapter are a bit fluffy. Sorry, but I was in the mood. Consider yourself warned._   
The week leading up to the Winter Ball was a particularly stressful one for Reagan. The Saturday before her last week, Gryffindor played Hufflepuff. The won easily; both their Seeker and Keepers were small and timid second years. End of term exams followed during the week, along with four library study sessions, two with Cal and Josie and two with Trevor. The Ball was Friday evening, and the students going home for Christmas were leaving on the following Saturday morning. Reagan found it incredibly stressful to have to study and take exams on top of packing for the holidays on top of worrying about the Ball.   
  
It was Thursday evening and Reagan had just gotten back from a study session with Trevor. He turned out to know a lot about Arithmancy and Ancient Ruins, and he was able to explain some things better than her professors.   
  
Reagan walked into the common room, in a very good mood, feeling very prepared for her arithmancy exam the next morning and was surprised to find Cal and Josie sitting on opposite sides of the common room glaring at each other.   
  
"Josie?" Reagan asked, approaching her friend.   
  
"Oh your back," Josie said, not looking up from her text book.   
  
"Whats wrong?" Reagan asked. "Why are over here when Cal is over there?"   
  
"I don't know!" Josie exclaimed. "Why donÕt you ask _him_?!"   
  
Reagan hadn't seen much of her friends the past few weeks, from Quidditch practice to studying, she had been preoccupied. Shedecided not to push her luck with Josie. She sat down next to her to wait for her friend to start talking. Josie was bent over a particularly large book and Reagan recognized it immediately as their Potions text book.   
  
"Josie, why are you studying for Potions?" Reagan asked. "We took that exam this morning."   
  
Josie glanced up from her book and looked at Reagan, her eyes filling with tears.   
  
"Oh," she said quietly and put the book down before running up the stairs towards their dormitory.   
  
"What was that about?" Reagan asked Cal. She got up and walked towards the stairs wouldn't.   
  
He shrugged. "I don't know, all I did was ask her a question and then she got all mad and defensive and wouldn't talk to me."   
  
"What did you ask her?"   
  
"Oh, I, um..." Cal blushed. "I asked her to go to the Ball with me."   
  
"Oh," Reagan replied, trying to hide her smile. "I'll go talk to her then." Turning, she followed Josie up the stairs and into their dormitory, where she found her crying on her bed.   
  
"Josie?" Reagan asked, cautiously. She dropped her book bag by her own bed and moved slowly towards the other bed. She say down and rubbed her hand over Josie's back, trying to calm her down.   
  
"_Accio!_" Reagan said, pointing her wand at the pitcher of water by the window and then at a water glass. She caught both things before they crashed into her head and pored a glass of water.   
  
"Josie, please sit up and drink this."   
  
"I don't want to," came her muffled voice. "I don't want to talk about it."   
  
"Yes you do," Reagan replied, pulling her up. "Come on, what happened why I was gone?" Josie drank the water and sighed, calming herself down.   
  
"Cal and I were studying for Charms in the common room. We started arguing about something, and then yelled at me."   
  
"What did he yell?" Reagan asked.   
  
"He...he said 'Will you go to the Ball with me?'" Josie replied. "And then I grabbed the book closest to me, which was apparently my Potions book, and I moved to the other side of the room."   
  
"Why was it so bad that he asked you to the dance?"   
  
"I don't know," Josie replied. "I guess it isn't. But it s just kinda, I don't know... weird in a way. I mean last year we all all went, but none of us ahd dates, we went as a couple of friends. And this year you have Trevor--"   
  
"I do _not_ have Trevor!"   
  
"-- and I guess I was expecting to go the Ball with Cal, but just not as a date."   
  
"Well you don't have to look at it as a date," Reagan said. "I mean, you are both friends, and nothing more, right?"   
  
Josie thought for a moment, her face growing a bit red.   
  
"We're just friends," she finally replied.   
  
"So then you're doing the same thing you were doing last year, going to the dance with your friend."   
  
"I guess you're right," Josie said and managed a weak smile at Reagan. "But I don't think Cal will want to go with me anymore."   
  
"And why is that?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well, I stormed off and didn't say anything to him," Josie replied. "I'll bet he hates me now."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Josie, Cal does not hate you." Quite the opposite, Reagan thought. "Go downstairs and talk to him. Apologize for storming off and tell him that if he still wants to, you would like to go to the Ball with him."   
  
Josie nodded. "All right." Josie got up and gave Reagan a hug before going back down stairs. Reagan hug around in her room for a couple minutes, enough to give them time to talk. When she was sure she heard their laughter she went back to the common room to join them.   
  
"Hey where have you been?" Josie asked as Reagan came down the stairs. Josie was sitting next to Cal on a large squishy sofa, a large book between them, looking at her like nothing had happened.   
  
"I was just putting my books away," Reagan lied. Josie nodded and looked back at book. Reagan sighed and shook her head. It would be years before she udnerstood her own friends.   
  
It took Reagan a little longer than she had planned to get ready, though she did take more time on her hair and makeup than she had the previous year. Trevor was originally going to wait outside the Gryffindor common room, but Reagan asked Josie to let him inside. She could hear him talking to Darenn at the base of the stairs, and she took deep breaths to calm herself down.   
  
_Why am I so nervous?_ she thought, breathing deeply.   
  
"Its just Trevor. He's just a friend," Reagan said outloud to no one. _But you don't get excited when you see Cal walking down the hall like you do with Trevor._ Reagan shook her head and stepped down onto the first step.   
  
"So Trevor, what do you have planned with my sister?" Darenn asked.   
  
Reagan froze.   
  
"I'm not sure what you mean," Trevor replied.   
  
"Well, she's my younger sister, and you've been spending time with her, and you're taking her to this dance, and well, I was just wondering what you mean to do with her."   
  
"Darenn, I have the up most respect for your sister," Trevor replied. "I don't have anything but the best intentions for Reagan."   
  
Darenn chuckled. "You'd better."   
  
"Come on, Darenn," Trevor said. "Am I the kind of guy thats going to flirt and give smooth lines and take advantage of girls?"   
  
"Not at all, which is surprising out of a Slytherin," Darenn replied. "Fact I can't think of the last girl you've dated."   
  
_Dated?_ Reagan thought. _I'm not dating Trevor._   
  
"It's because I haven't dated anyone," Trevor replied. "I'm not really dating Reagan either. We're just friends."   
  
Reagan smiled, and walked down the stairs. Darenn was standing in black dress robes, Avery Valentine standing next to him in shimmering red dress robes, her hand on his arm. Darenn looked up and smiled at her, and Trevor, following his gaze, looked up and stared.   
  
"Hi," Reagan said.   
  
"Hi," Trevor managed to say, in between running his eyes up and down her, making her blush. Reagan's cream dress robes clung nicely to her body, accenting the shapely figure she had acquired over the summer during Quidditch training.   
  
"I hope you weren't waiting long," Reagan said.   
  
He shook his head. "Not at all. You look amazing."   
  
"Thank you," Reagan replied, blushing. "You look good too."   
  
And he did. He didn't play Quidditch, but he looked like he did. He was strong, with broad shoulders and a nicely shaped back. His navy dress robes accented the color of his eyes.   
  
"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm.   
  
"Certainly," she replied and he lead her out of the common room. Josie and Cal had gone a head to the dance; Darenn and Avery were walking along behind them.   
  
The Winter Ball was held in the Great Hall. There was a huge Christmas tree where the Professor's table usually sat, and candles hung in the air, suspended and flickering, like a light breeze was blowing through. Circular tables were set up along the perimeter of the room, and near the doors, and a large wooden dance floor was in the middle, where students were dancing. The dance was allowed to third years and above, though all students had to have a signed permission slip to attend.   
  
Reagan spotted Cal and Josie sitting at a table, and seemed to be holding seats for them.   
  
"We can sit with them, if you'd like," Trevor said, looking at her.   
  
"We can sit with your friends," Reagan said. "We don't have to sit with mine."   
  
"I don't mind."   
  
"Really?" Reagan asked, smiling. "Thanks." They made their way over to the table and sat down, Reagan next to Josie.   
  
"How are you doing?" Josie asked her, under her breath."   
  
"Fine," Reagan replied. "And you?"   
  
"Fine," Josie said. Both girls smiled in the same knowing way that said that everything was perfect.   
  
They ordered off the menus and their food appeared moments later upon their plates. Reagan and Trevor their meals and watched Josie and Cal try to get through a diner without arguing.   
  
As they swallowed their last bites, their plates cleared and music started. Reagan glanced around and saw a band of four wizards, on stage near the Professor's table, their music magically amplified.   
  
As she took a tip of her pumpkin juice, Reagan caught Trevor's eye and he nodded towards the dance floor.   
  
"Would you care to dance?" he asked, offering his hand.   
  
"I would love to," she replied. He lead her to the area in the middle of the tables where students were beginning to gather and dance. Reagan was impressed that he didn't step on her toes, and laughed as Trevor twirled her around.   
  
Reagan and Trevor spent most of the evening dancing, before Cal cut in to dance with Reagan and Trevor danced with a blushing Josie. The four swapped partners again before returning to their table for pumpkin juice.   
  
Reagan watched the dancing couples, some looking uncomfortable, some looking completely content. She saw Avery laugh after Darenn whispered something in her ear and saw Caitlin smiling at Nicholas Finch-Fletchy as they passed by. Numerous other Gryffindors came by to wish Reagan a Merry Christmas, and also to congratulate her on her amazing goals during the Hufflepuff game. Reagan smiled and thanked then, wondering what else they expected her to do but throw the Quaffle into the goals.   
  
"You've quite modest," Trevor said as Gryffindor sixth years, Jake Briggs and Jill Thomas, walked away.   
  
"How am I modest?" Reagan asked. "I did what a Chaser was supposed to do."   
  
"Yeah, but your forgetting the part where the score was three hundred to forty. And minus the hundred fifty points from Josie's catch, that still leaves another hundred fifty, and one hundred and twenty of those points were yours alone."   
  
"Not alone," Reagan replied. "I had help from my fellow Chasers, from my _team_."   
  
Trevor laughed. "I know, I know. You still won't even admit that you made twelve goals."   
  
"All right I'll admit I made ruddy twelve goals," Reagan admitted. "But I had assistance."   
  
"That works for me," Trevor said and checked his watch. "The dance has to about over."   
  
As the finished his sentence, the music stopped and Professor Lupin bid them all good night. Trevor walked Reagan back to her dormitory, having to stop a few times along the way and usher younger students along, and stop a few from swallowing each other's tongues. But the time the portrait of the Fat Lady was in sight there was no one else in the hall.   
  
"Thank you for inviting me," Reagan said as they approached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.   
  
"It was my pleasure," Trevor replied. "Thank you for coming with me."   
  
"I had a great time," she said.   
  
"I did too."   
  
"Well, I hope I'll see you on the train," she said.   
  
"You definitely will," he replied. "I'll make sure to find you."   
  
Reagan smiled. "Well, good night."   
  
Trevor didn't say anything, he just stared at her with a look in his eye that made Reagan melt. Slowly, he moved his hand to her face and traced the line of her jaw ever so slightly, pulling her closer to him.   
  
_HeÕs going to kiss me!_   
  
As his lips brushed hers, she felt the most amazing feelings of excitement and happiness. After a few moments, Trevor pulled away and smiled at her.   
  
"Good night," he replied and kissed her forehead. With another dreamy smile he walked down the hall to his own dormitory, leaving Reagan a bit stunned.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"JOSIAN MALFOY GET OUT OF BED THIS INSTANT!" Reagan roared at her best friend.   
  
"You are going to miss the school train!" Caitlin squealed.   
  
Josie pulled her sheets over her head, not wanting to wake up.   
  
With the aid of Caitlin, Reagan pulled the sheets off of the bed, exposing Josie to the chilly morning air.   
  
"_Rea_gan!" Josie cried. "Its cold!"   
  
"It wouldn't be cold if you got out of bed and got dressed," Reagan replied. "Come on, we have to be in the entrance hall in twenty minutes."   
  
With a huff, Josie got out of bed, and began to dress, mumbling about how she would braid her hair on the train. Reagan sighed and pulled her own trunk out of the room, and down the stairs to the common room. Minutes later, Josie came down the stairs, her trunk thunking along behind her.   
  
"Come on," Reagan said to her. "You've already missed breakfast."   
  
"Sorry," Josie grumbled.   
  
"Why didn't you wake up?" Reagan asked. "We'd been trying to wake you for ten minutes."   
  
Josie shrugged. "I dunno, I was dreaming I guess."   
  
_Dreaming,_ Reagan thought. _What was it I dreamt last night?_ Then an image came into her thoughts, so horrible that she shook her head out get rid of it.   
  
"Well you can eat on the train," Reagan said to her. Josie nodded and walked silently with her down to the entrance hall. After waiting for a few minutes they got into their carriage and Josie's head flopped sleepily against the window.   
  
"Where's Cal?" Josie asked suddenly.   
  
"We left before we did," Reagan replied. "He's probably many carriages ahead of us. He said he'd get us a compartment."   
  
"Oh," Josie replied and her head fell back against the window. A few minutes later they got out of the carriage and onto the train, pulling their trunks along behind them. Reagan spotted Cal in a compartment in the middle of the train and he helped each of the store their trunks. Josie sat braiding her hair as the remaining students boarded the train and tied it with a black ribbon before dropping her head onto the side of the compartment.   
  
"She woke up late," Reagan told Cal when he looked at her questionably. He nodded and pulled a book out of his bag. Reagan let Eclipse out of her basket and ran her finger across her fur as the train pulled out of Hogsmead Station.   
  
Reagan fought to stay awake for two reasons. For one, she wanted to see Trevor when he came by to say hello. And the second reason was because the last time she was on a train, she fell asleep and met Professor Lockhart before she met in im person.   
  
Caitlin came by and asked who was meeting Reagan and Darenn at Kings Cross and Reagan didn't know. Reagan looked back at her book, not really caring if the characters in her book got together at the end.   
  
She heard the door slid open again and looked up to see Trevor smiling at her.   
  
"Hi," she said, putting her book down.   
  
"Hi," he replied. "Having a good morning?"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes. "Miss Malfoy over here-" Reagan nodded towards Josie's sleeping form, "-didn't want to wake up. We practically had to drag her out of bed."   
  
Trevor laughed. "Late night, was it?"   
  
"Not any later than mine," Reagan replied. They both seemed to remember their kiss at that moment because they both looked away from each other, blushing.   
  
"Are you going anywhere over break?" Reagan asked.   
  
Trevor shook his head. "Nah, we just stay at home, its normally just myself, my aunt and uncle. How about you?"   
  
"We're going to the ballet," Reagan said. "And my father and I are..." Reagan trailed off, looking at Josie and Cal, not wanting to say anything about her Connection. "We're going to spend some quality time together. He's going to help me with some problems I have with magic."   
  
"Problems?" Trevor asked.   
  
"You know, sometimes I have trouble _connecting_ my emotions to my magic," Reagan replied.   
  
"Ah," Trevor replied, nodding to confirm he knew what she was talking about. "Well the ballet will be fun."   
  
"My Aunt Hermione makes us go each year," Reagan said. "I've seen the Nutcracker eight times. It's a Muggle thing, but my mother loves it too."   
  
"Sometimes the Muggles have good ideas," Trevor said.   
  
"Steven!" came a girl's voice from the hall. "Give it back." Trevor turned to see what the problem was and caught a dark haired boy around the middle.   
  
"Whoa there, Steven," Trevor said, holding the first year Ravenclaw back.   
  
"He took my toad!" the girl's voice said. Reagan leaned over to see who it was and smiled when she saw Laura Longbottom.   
  
"Mr. Kelly, do you have her toad?" Trevor asked.   
  
"I found it in the hall and didn't know it was her's," Steven replied.   
  
"Yes you did! You lured Teddy Bear out into the hallway after I told you you couldn't see him!" Laura yelled at him. Reagan thought the thing she was holding looked like any thing but teddy bear.   
  
"Is that true?" Trevor asked, looking from Laura to Steven.   
  
Steven hung his head. "Yes, its true. Here's your stupid toad back."   
  
"Thank you," Laura huffed, taking her toad back.   
  
"If she said no, that normally means you can't see her toad," Trevor said to Steven. "I think Miss Longbottom deserves an apology."   
  
"Sorry, Laura," Steven said.   
  
"Its okay," Laura said.   
  
"Are you going to take any points off of me?" Steven asked, eyeing Trevor's Prefect pin.   
  
"Nah," Trevor said, and Steven's face lit up. "Its almost Christmas. But if I catch you stealing her toad again, I'll take _double_ the points off."   
  
"Thanks!" Steven said.   
  
"Come on, Steven," Laura said. "You can play with me and my toad."   
  
"Okay!" Steven followed her down the hall and out of sight. "That was nice of you," Reagan said. "Not taking points off of Ravenclaw."   
  
"Yeah, well," Trevor said. "It is almost Christmas."   
  
"It was still nice."   
  
"Well, sometimes it is hard, especially when I'm in bad mood," Trevor said. "Then I want to take fifty points off of everyone. You'll see how its like when you're a Prefect."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Like that'll happen!"   
  
"You never know," Trevor said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, I've got to get back to patrolling the halls."   
  
"All right," she said, a little disappointed he was leaving.   
  
"If I don't see you before we get off the train, have a nice holiday."   
  
"You too."   
  
He smiled and closed the compartment door, leaving Reagan to wonder. _Would I be made a Prefect?_ She had never really thought about it. Caitlin and Ethan were also in her year and in her house, so they could be made Prefects. James was a Prefect for two years before he was Head Boy, and Darenn was a Prefect this year.   
  
Reagan shook her head, she didn't want to think about that right now. She settled back into her book and was able to finish it as the train came to a stop at Kings Cross.   
_A/N: In the middle of writing this chapter (or more towards the end), "Order of the Pheonix" came out. For those of you who haven't read it, I won't let anything important out, but I realize now why a lot of people were scrambling to get their fics done before "Order of the Pheonix" came out. It was interesting to read the official fifth year story, and realize what things were predicted in fan fiction, and what things we were not prepared for. Personally, the death in Book 5 hit me hard because that was my favorite character. I'm of course going to continue writing my fics, as they don't take place in Harry's fifth year, though it is odd to know that parts of mine out terribly out of cannon now. Oh well, we all expected this right? Read and review please, your thoughts on things are always welcome. ~EE _  
  



	14. Chapter 14: Opening Up

  
  
**Chapter Fourteen: Opening Up**   
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
_  
  
"Aaahhhhhh!!"   
  
Reagan sat straight up in bed, sweat beads rolling down her cheek. She buried her face in her hands, trying to shut out what she had just seen. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the image of her Uncle Fred was etched in the back of her eye lids. His face was scarred, his eyes wide open, and a flash of green light...   
  
"Stop it, Reagan," she muttered to herself. She threw her blankets off her and went down stairs for a glass of water.   
  
"Good morning," her father said to her as she came into the room.   
  
"Morning," she said. "Though its a bit too dark to be considered morning."   
  
It had been this way for the past week. Reagan had returned home Saturday evening and that night she and her father took down their mental doors. Her Aunt Hermione had been there, coaching them along.   
  
"Now, just think of your mental door opening, and open it very wide," she had said. Reagan had shut her eyes and opened the door to her mind and as he father did the same they were instantly feeling what the other was. The sensation knocked them off their feet literally.   
  
"Now remember Reagan," Hermione had said. "You can't panic every time you experience something of Harry's. Somehow you have to learn how to live with the sensations and images your pick up from him."   
  
"Its not very easy," Reagan had grumbled, trying not to get upset. The first thing she recognizably heard was her Uncle Ron's voice going on about how much of a know it all her Aunt Hermione was.   
  
_"Honestly, no wonder she hasn't got any friends."_   
  
Each night afterwards Reagan's dreams were filled with horrible images from her father's past, and each night they met in the kitchen, both to shaken to go directly back to sleep. Sometimes his memories were fused with her own into completely confusing dreams.   
  
"Sorry about that one, Reagan," her father said to her. "I don't know what made me think of it."   
  
"It was diner," Reagan replied. "Gran said slipped and mentioned Uncle Fred."   
  
"Oh."   
  
Reagan stared at her water, swirling it around the the glass till it spilled out. Having their Connection wide open was draining. She couldn't think about anything for the fear of having her father know what she was thinking.   
  
"You know, I started to learn Occlumency my fifth year," Harry said. "We might try..."   
  
"It doesn't work with this," Reagan replied. "I read about it in one of those books. I wish it were as simple as learning Occlumency."   
  
Harry laughed. "Yeah."   
  
"I'm going back to bed, Dad," Reagan said. She stood up and placed her glass in the sink, kissing her father on the forehead on her way out.   
  
Reagan crept back into her bed and curled up with Eclipse in her arms. After a while she drifted back off to sleep...   
  
_ Gryffindor was up by ten. If they caught the Snitch now they would win 260-100. She looked frantically for Josie, hoping she would realize this in time.   
  
"Potter scores! Gryffindor leads 120 to 100! And... and... Josian Malfoy has seen the Snitch! She's in a dive, Josie and Mathias Malfoy are neck and neck, though Mathias has a better broom, wonder who's the favorite in that family. They're in a dead dive, and ... and SHE'S GOT IT AND OH!!!"   
  
The crowd went silent and in the middle of the pitch was a head of red and gold Quidditch robes. Professor Murray, the Flying teacher and Quidditch referee ran over to the heap on the grass. Madame Pomfrey was at his side and slowly they rolled the heap over. It was the bloodstained lifeless face of a young blond girl that stared up into the stands and someone somewhere screamed._   
  
Reagan woke up, realizing it was she who had screamed. Her hands were clammy and her face was sweaty again. She sat in her bed and tried to control her breathing as the morning sunlight came in through her window. She couldn't get Josie's lifeless face out of her mind; it was the same image that she had seen when she woke up in her dormitory, the morning after the Winter Ball.   
  
"Its just a nightmare," she said to herself. "That never happened, that never will."   
  
Reagan was a bit amazed that no one had come bursting into her room after she had screamed. The only reason for this she could think of was that her father must have cast a Silencing Charm on her room in the event of her waking up from a dream screaming.   
  
Getting out of bed, Reagan grabbed her towel and bath robe off the back of her chair and went to take a shower, thinking a cold shower would calm her down.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Reagan, are you--" Harry began.   
  
"Ready to go? Yes," Reagan replied, coming down the stairs. She was wearing a black V necked Muggle dress that stopped just above her knees, her hair pulled up into a loose up-do on her head. Her father grinned at her as he ushered her out to a black Ministry car waiting in the driveway.   
  
"Evening Captain," the driver said and Harry nodded at him.   
  
"Lets not loose the Minister shall we?" Harry said as he got into the car.   
  
"Dad, your tie is crooked," Reagan said to him and began to fix it.   
  
"How do you know how to tie a tie?" Harry asked.   
  
"Honestly, Dad," she replied as she finished. "I know because you know."   
  
"Of course," Harry replied.   
  
"Now if I could know everything you know about History of Magic it would help me out in Binn's class."   
  
"No luck there," her Uncle Ron said. "Your father didn't pay much attention in that class."   
  
"Neither did you," Harry replied. "And why aren't you riding with your wife?"   
  
Ron blushed. "She, uh, got a bit short with me this evening. I thought it best for Ginny to take my place in the first car and for me to ride with you."   
  
"Why did Hermione get short with you?" Harry asked. "You weren't criticizing this tradition of hers again, were you?"   
  
"I have no problem with the ballet," Ron said. "If she sits through the Cannons for me then I will sit through men in tights for her. I only asked why we had superb seats for the ballet, but we had mediocre seats for the Cannon's game."   
  
"Ah, that old argument again?"   
  
"It was not an argument, it was--"   
  
"Uncle Ron, if you're in our car, then it was an argument," Reagan cut in.   
  
"The girl has a point," Harry said.   
  
"I got the twins ready to go to make up for it," Ron said. "Caitlin and Paul had to help though."   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes at her uncle and caught her father's eye. They both had to swallow their laughter to not antagonize Ron any further.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Reagan walked along behind her father, looking around at the Muggle already seated. She didn't really have an opinion on Muggles, as far as she was concerned the wizarding world needed them to exist. Besides, they were interesting to watch, and sometimes they had good ideas. Reagan enjoyed muggle motion pictures and that had these things that allowed them to talk to each other no matter where they were. She looked around, hoping to catch a glance of one of those things, Professor Stalk, her Muggle Studies teacher, had called them cell phones. It was interesting to think that she could turn into a white fluffy dog, and she could fly on a broom and all the Muggles had was cell phone things. In some aspects they were better off than wizards. Wizards could talk to each other through the fire, but if you needed to contact someone who wasn't near a fire place was sometimes difficult. Owls worked, but it wasn't the same as talking to someone and hearing their voice.   
  
"Are you going to sit down?" Darenn asked her, startling her. She stepped into the aisle, and took her seat, trying to make it obvious that she kept turning to watch when she heard a Muggle talking.   
  
The orchestra began to warm and and Reagan relaxed into her chair. Her Aunt Hermione ahd the best ideas sometimes, though she wasn't sure about the men in tights bit yet. She watched as the ballet began, and the dancer that played Clara reminded her of Josie.   
  
Further along in the play, something caught Reagan's attention. A man dressed in a long back cloak stepped onto the stage, holding a wand. Reagan glanced around her and saw that no one else was seeing this. The Muggles in front of her didn't seem to notice. She squeezed her eyes shut hoping the man would go away. When she opened her eyes, she saw not one man, but three me. One was tall with dark messy hair, and the other was tall with a long white beard and matching long white hair. The dancers on stage didn't seem to notice them. They danced around, the large rats taking on the toy soldiers with their swords.   
  
_ "Stay back," the old wizard said.   
  
"But sir!"   
  
"It is not up for discussion!" the old wizard exclaimed. _ Reagan looked around again, wondering if anyone else was seeing what she was. No one was, or if they were they didn't show it.   
  
_ "Sir, I won't let you go alone!" the younger wizard said. _Reagan could hear them as if she were standing next to them on stage.   
  
_ "There is not time to argue with you, Harry," the old wizard said._ Reagan tensed when she realized what was going on. She was seeing her father's memory, his memory of when he defeated Voldemort. The old wizard was Dumbledore, and the man in the black cloak must have been Voldemort. The young wizard was her father.   
  
Reagan watched as Dumbledore began to duel with Voldemort, her father standing and watching, not wanting to disobey Dumbledore. Around them, the dancers performed as if there were no wizards on stage. After a few moments, there was a flash of green light and Reagan saw Dumbledore begin to fall to the floor. Instantly her father waved his wand and Voldemort fell too, hitting the ground seconds after Dumbledore. Reagan gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.   
  
"Reagan, what's wrong?" her mother asked. Reagan stared at the scene on the stage where two wizards lay on the floor, and the other stood looking at them, a look of horror on his face. A red headed woman ran to his side and put her arms around him, before they both fell to their knees. Reagan realized that that must have been her mother running to comfort her father.   
  
"I can see you," Reagan said to her. Ginny looked at her daughter, not sure what she mean. "I can see you, Mum. You're on stage. You're hugging Dad."   
  
"Reagan what are you talking about?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Thats so sad," Reagan said. "He had to stand there and watch him die. He couldn't do anything."   
  
"Reagan, what are you talking about?" Ginny repeated.   
  
"Mum, its okay," Reagan said. "I'm not scared this time."   
  
Ginny looked from her daughter to the stage and then at Harry, who was oblivious to what was going on.   
  
"Dad, I'm sorry," Reagan whispered to her father.   
  
"For what, sweetie?"   
  
"You had to watch Dumbledore die."   
  
Harry turned and looked at her in bewilderment.   
  
"What--?"   
  
"I just watched it happen," she replied. "I just say you on stage."   
  
"And you didn't get scared?" he asked.   
  
"At first it startled me," she said. "But I just watched, like they were apart of the play, and I watched you defeat Voldemort."   
  
"Harry, what--"   
  
"Reagan, can you see them now?" Harry asked.   
  
"Yes," Reagan nodded. "Its you and Mum, you're sitting on the floor, there's no one else around you, but I can see the magic flying through the air."   
  
"Can you make them go away?" he asked.   
  
Reagan stared at the figures on the stage, willing them away. To her amazement, they faded as the dancers leapt across the space they had been.   
  
"Yes, I can," she replied. "They're gone."   
  
"You're doing it," he said. "Somehow you were able to control it without blocking it out."   
  
Reagan grinned.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Reagan!" Ginny called. "You've had an owl!"   
  
_Thats odd,_ Reagan thought. _Usually my owls come to me._ She got down off her bed and went quickly down the stairs to take her letter from her mother.   
  
"Its from Josie," her mother said as Reagan took the letter from her. "For some reason her owl came to the kitchen."   
  
Reagan shrugged and ran back up the stairs, shutting her door carefully. She didn't want to attract too much attention; for some reason she had a bad feeling about what Josie had to say.   
  
_ Reagan,  
Sorry about having to use my brother's owl, mine was off delivering a letter to Cal. Anyway, Mathias didn't even notice he was gone, fact I caught his owl before he even knew he was back.   
  
Thank you for the box of Sugar Quills, I was desperately needing candy! I was grateful to not get any more books, Father insists that you can never have too many of them!   
  
I keep having these horrible dreams. I've dreamt that I'm flying in a Quidditch match, against Slytherin and Mathias and I go into this dive to get the Snitch and out of the corner of my eye I see a big black bear like dog, and my dream self thinks its a Grim, and then when I catch the Snitch I crash into the ground and I hear someone scream. I known I can't be predicting things because we've already played Slytherin and I've been having them for a while, since before the Winter Ball. I know your Aunt thinks that Divination is rubbish, but does she have any ideas? Do you? What about your parents? If I ask mine, then they'll think I'm loosing my mind. They won't take me seriously. So can you see what you can come up with. I saw a lot of dream interpretation books in your father's study while I was there. Sorry, the door was open and I just peeked in! I hope you can help me, Reagan, I'm beginning to get afraid of going to sleep!  
Love ya!  
Josie   
_  
Reagan folded the letter up and thought for a moment. Josie's dream sounded awfully like he one she had had, though there was no Grim in Reagan's dream.   
  
Reagan sighed. She wished that she could have a normal peaceful holiday without having to look anything up. However, she was curious to what the dream meant. Making up her mind, she quickly drafted a letter to a friend of her father's, Anna McCormick, who was renowned for her dream interpretations. She was able to interpret her father's dreams during the war with Voldemort, and helped the Order of the Phoenix in many ways.   
  
"Often while at rest, the mind picks up on time continuum and we dream of what is to come," Reagan recited to herself. Anna was one of the only member of the High Divination Council that she would ever listen to.   
  
After she sealed her letter and send Vira off, she sat back down at her desk, looking at the pictures.   
  
_ "Time is a continuum and your mind in a way is able to see what will happen or what has already happened and you see these images as dreams."_   
  
Sirius' words popped into her head, and she wondered for a moments whether or not that was why Josie was having a dream similar to hers.   
  
_Thats silly, _Reagan told herself._ Josie can't have a Connection with her father. She just can't. And that wouldn't explain why her dream was so similar to mine._   
  
"But what is she was just picking up things in her dream," Reagan said out loud. "If time is a continuum, then she could pick up on things in her sleep. I do it because of my Connection, but the images I see are much stronger and much clearer. So maybe she's just seeing something that hasn't happened yet."   
  
_ But we already played Slytherin. _   
  
Reagan sighed again. "Maybe she just had a dream and it means nothing."   
  
  
_ A/N: This is the Yahoo!Group I created for my fan fiction. Everything is archived there also. There are also character pics, Animagus pics, fiction lists and other fun stuff. http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/ericaevansff/   
  
If that link doesn't work or if it doesn't show up, the link is on my aurhor page, under homepage. ~EE  
_


	15. Chapter 15: An ANIMAzing Transfiguration...

  
  
**Chapter Fifteen: An ANIMAzing Transfiguration Class**   
  
  
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
_   
  
When Reagan woke up, it wasn't due to a dream. She blinked, taking in her darkened room, realizing it wasn't morning yet.   
  
"Harry, be careful," she heard her mother's voice say. Reagan shook her head, thinking it was a memory.   
  
"Don't worry, Ginny," her father replied. Reagan saw a light go on in the hallway, illuminating her doorway. She heard footsteps creep past her door, and then down the stairs. The front door opened and closed silently, only those awake could have heard it. And then a sob came from down the hall.   
  
Reagan crept out of bed, and edged her door open. The hall was dark again, though basked in moonlight. Reagan's eyes quickly adjusted to the new light and she crept silently towards her parents room.   
  
"Mum?" Reagan asked, pushing the door open slowly.   
  
"Reagan?" her mother asked. "What are you doing awake?"   
  
"I heard voices," Reagan replied, walking closer to her parent's bed. "Where's Dad?"   
  
"He had to go," Ginny said, wiping her eyes. "He was called, and he had to go."   
  
"Where did he go?" Reagan asked.   
  
"I don't know," Ginny replied. "Off to save the world, I guess."   
  
Reagan laughed a little, but it didn't calm her fears. Her father rarely would have to slip off in the middle of the night. She searched her mind for him, their connection freely open but in control. She could feel him, she knew he was alive, and she could feel his presence. But he wasn't allowing her access to the information she needed to know.   
  
"Go back to bed, Reagan," Ginny said, smoothing her daughter's hair. "He'll be all right. You don't want to be tired for the trip back tomorrow."   
  
"All right," Reagan replied. "Good night."   
  
Reagan slipped out of the room and back into her own before letting her own tears fall from her eyes.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Did your father leave last night?" Josie asked as the boarded the train the next morning. Reagan nodded, pulling her trunk along as they looked for a compartment.   
  
"Did yours?"   
  
"Yeah, last night, in the dead of night too," Josie said. "What's with that? Why do they always leave at the worst possible times? They can't be called in around noon can they?"   
  
Reagan shrugged, not wanting to talk about her father leaving. Having a father as an Auror was cool, well if you didn't have a magical connection that tied father and daughter together. If her father died, Reagan knew that she wouldn't have long to live after.   
  
"Here's one," Josie said opening the door. They stored their trunks and caught Cal as he came by looking for them. Josie and Cal fell asleep against one another as soon as the train pulled out of Kings Cross, but Reagan was wide awake. Stroking Eclipse, she watched the white scenery go by quickly, wondering where her father was. She still could not penetrate his mind, which was usually as easy at cutting butter. She could sense him; she knew he was alive, but he wasn't letting her into anything.   
  
"Any treats miss?"   
  
Reagan turned around to the witch with the treat trolly, and paid for some juice. Neither Cal or Josie moved, and Reagan didn't wake them.   
  
She stared at her friend wondering when she should tell them about her Connection. Trevor knew, she had trusted him enough to tell him. So why was she so afraid to tell Josie and Cal?   
  
She resorted to looking back out the window, wishing she could transform into a dog and sleep soundly on the floor.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
As Reagan walked into the Transfiguration class room the next morning, something caught her eye. Sitting next to the desk was a large cat. Next the him was a rat, a peacock, a tabby cat, a snake and a wolf. She recognized the large cat, the tabby cat and the wolf at once.   
  
"Now, settle down, settle down," Professor Lupin said as they came into the room, eyeing the array of animals before them. "Today is going to be a little different. Normally, the Gryffindors would have this class with the Hufflepuffs, but today all four houses as we have been learning, using the knowledge of Transfiguration a witch or wizard can learn to transform into an animal at will. Here before us we have eight animals. Three of them are really animals, Three of them are witches or wizards in their Animagus form. Now can anyone tell me how you can tell the difference?" Several hand shot into the air, but Reagan's was faster.   
  
"Miss Potter."   
  
"Animagus have some sort of marking on them, signifying that they really human."   
  
"Wonderful, five points," Professor Lupin said. "Now, I want each of you to walk along before these animals and observe them. As a house I want you to write down and decide which four are animals and which are Animagi." He went along and named what each animal was, smiling as he walked past the ocelot.   
  
"Now don't worry, all of the animals will behave and you are not in any harm." The students walked along the line of animals. Reagan got in line behind Lane and when she reached the large cat, an ocelot, she reached her hand towards him, pulling it back when he growled. She smirked and walked back to the table with the other Gryffindors.   
  
"I have no clue," Lane stated, plopping down in the chair.   
  
"The ocelot and the tabby cat are Animagi," Reagan said not looking up from her book.   
  
"How do you know that?" Bolton asked.   
  
Reagan looked at him. "I just do."   
  
"Reagan, could you explain why this is?" Katie asked.   
  
Reagan sighed and looked back at the larger cat. "Come on, I'll show you."   
  
The other Gryffindors followed her to the front of the room where they had to wait a few moments for the Hufflepuffs to finish.   
  
"See, the tabby car has markings around her eyes?" Reagan whispered to her house mates. "It looks as if she were wearing glasses? Most cats don't have that type of marking. And the cat is sitting extremely stiffly too." Reagan pointed to the cat and stroked her back. She knew that this particular cat was their Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, she had heard so many stories about her. She moved on to the ocelot.   
  
"See, the ocelot has a cowlick," Reagan said pointing to the animals head. "Its ok," she cooed to it as she moved her hand forward. The ocelot stared at her but allowed her to touch him.   
  
"It rare to see an animal with a cowlick, especially one with such a prominent fur pattern."   
  
"So, if these are Animagi, then which one if the third?" Bolton asked.   
  
"Well, lets look," Reagan said. She moved away from the larger cat and walked along the row of animals. She paused at each one smiling at them one by one. In her experience, the easiest and quickest way to determine an Animagus was to smile at them and see if they smiled back.   
  
"What about this one?" Hayden Thorns asked, stopping at the rat. Reagan glared at it. She despised rats and always had. She looked closer at it.   
  
"Professor Lupin?" Reagan asked, turning around. He was walking amongst the groups of students and looked over at her. "Can we pick up the animals?"   
  
Professor Lupin glanced at the rat and then at her. A thin smiled crossed his face.   
  
"If you are very careful," he said. Reagan turned back to the rat and carefully picked it up. The rat wiggled as she picked it up.   
  
"I don't think this is one," Reagan said. "Its too scared of us. If it really were one, then it would know that we werenÕt going to harm it.   
  
"Thats true," Caitlin agreed. Reagan put the rat back down and they moved along.   
  
"What about the wolf?" Cal suggested. "She seems to be very realxed." Reagan nodded in agreement. Cal reached out and pat the wolf on her head. "Her fur is also very neat, most wolves don't have fur like this."   
  
Reagan ran her hand down the back of the wolf and smiled.   
  
"I think he's right," Reagan said. She stood up and smiled at him. Reagan followed her house mates back to the table, resisting the unfamiliar urge to stop at the snake and ask it its name. Reagan shook her head as she sat down next to Cal. The Gryffindors sat and chatted amongst themselves for the remainder of the class.   
  
"Miss Potter?" Professor Lupin asked, coming up to their table. He motioned for her to follow him and he lead her outside of the room.   
  
"Since you already know the three Animagi, I don't see it necessary to put the wards on you."   
  
"Professor, what sort of ward are you putting on the students?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well, as you know, there are two unregistered Animagi in that room. So when they transform back to their human state, the ward will prevent the students from recognizing, or acknowledging who they are. They will be unable to recall later what each looked like and will not be able to point them out in anyway." Professor Lupin smiled and left the her in the hall.   
  
She stood for a few moments, waiting for Professor Lupin to allow her back into the room.   
  
_"Could there be anything worse than Umbridge?" _a tall red headed boy said, walking with a dark haired boy. They were both misty and slightly translucent, a bit like ghosts, and neither of them realized that Reagan was standing there.   
  
_ "Being banned from Quidditch, that's that's... just mean!" _ Reagan rolled her eyes at her uncle Ron's fifteen year old voice.   
  
_ "At least Hermione isn't looking at me like I deserved it." _Reagan shook her head and the voices faded as the two boys walked past her.   
  
_ "There's still nothing worse than Umbridge."_   
  
"Who's Umbridge?" Reagan wondered out loud.   
  
"Your father's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor during his fifth year," Professor Lupin answered from behind her.   
  
"Was she bad?" Reagan asked.   
  
Professor Lupin grinned. "Bad is an understatement."   
  
Reagan nodded and followed him into the classroom, taking her seat beside Josie.   
  
"Now, I have every house's paper, right?" Professor Lupin asked moving along the side of the room. "Good, now, on the count of three, the four animagus will transform to back into their human state. One... two... three!" Reagan watched as her brother grew straight upward, his feline fur disappearing into his skin. James brushed off his robes and tried to flatten his hair as Professor McGonagall was straightening her hat. Reagan looked beyond her Headmistress to where the wolf had stood and in its spot stood Erika Caldwell.   
  
"All right, excellent class today, as for homework, I want an summary of the Animagus chapter in your textbooks, thats Chapter Eighteen, and an essay on what animal you choose to be if you could be an Animagus." Reagan stood up and followed the rest of the students out of the door, careful not to wave at her brother of his girlfriend. She didn't want anyone to think she knew who they were.   
  
"That was really cool," Josie said. "I wonder why Professor Lupin didn't have you--"   
  
"Josie!" Reagan said to stop her from completing her sentence.   
  
"Oops," Josie said. "Sorry."   
  
"I was wondering that too," Cal said.   
  
"Well, I don't know," Reagan said. "Probably because someone would have noticed if I wasn't in class."   
  
"Oh," Josie said as if the answer had been obvious. "Well, did you finish your History of Magic essay?"   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Two days later, Reagan walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts and again noticed something different. In the front of the room was the absence of a their tall blond haired professor. Instead was a square witch staring at them behind half moon glasses. Her hair was a strawberry blond and she had a sour look on her face.   
  
Reagan set her book bag down onto her chair before approaching the new teacher.   
  
"Good afternoon, ma'am," Reagan said. "I was wondering where Professor Lockhart was."   
  
"Well, Miss Potter," the new professor began. "You'll be wondering until I tell you and the rest of the class when the rest of the class is here."   
  
"Thank you, ma'am," Reagan replied and took her seat as Josie and Cal came into the room.   
  
"Who's that?"   
  
"Dunno," Reagan replied. "She wouldn't tell me."   
  
"Quiet down, class, lets all take our seats," the new teacher said. "Quickly now, quickly, we haven't got all day!" The class sat down rather quickly after this, looking at their new teacher in wonder.   
  
"My name is Professor Elierson," the new teach said. "Professor Lockhart has been called into duty and I will be filling for him until he returns. Now, the last thing you studied was--yes Miss Potter?"   
  
Reagan looked around, wondering why Professor Elierson had called on her.   
  
"I didn't have my hand up, Professor," Reagan said.   
  
"But you wanted to ask a question," Professor Elierson replied. "Did you not?"   
  
Stunned, Reagan replied, "I was wondering what Professor Lockhart had been called to duty for. I was going to ask Professor Lupin about it later."   
  
"It would do you well not to run to your surrogate uncle every time you have a question," Professor Elierson said. "It makes you seem needy. Professor Lockhart is an Auror and he has been called to duty, much like your father has. Now keep your thoughts to yourself. I have enough noise in my head without your voice wondering things all the time."   
  
Still stunned, and a bit hurt, Reagan busied herself with reading the chapter Professor Elierson assigned, wondering who this new woman was and how she could read what Reagan was thinking.   
_ A/N: So sorry about the long delay, and for the short chapter. And unfortunately there will be another long delay, probably about two weeks. Too much is happening: my fiancee is coming home tonight (he's in the Marines for those of you who don't know), we have family coming in, we're getting married on July 26th, I'm packing and we're moving to San Diego and school starts. So **please** be patient, I will be writing (hopefully!) throughout all of this as its the only way I stay sane. This fic is about half over, and the third and final is in planning.   
  
The dialogue about Professor Umbridge is not from Order of the Phoenix. Its just something I made up, although it is likely that something of the sorts would have been said between Harry and Ron. Also, Professor Elierson was planned before Order of the Phoenix was released, and it was lucky that Professor Umbridge was so horrid because my made up quote fits nicely.   
  
Review please!!!   
  
Love, ~Erica Evans   
  
_


	16. Chapter 16: Damn Little Birds

  
**Chapter Sixteen: Damn Little Birds**   
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: I'm back! Please see the end of the fic for a complete author's note.   
  
_ As the month of January ended, Reagan heard little news on her father or what he was up to. Her mother didn't have any news to give, the _Daily Prophet_ didn't report anything on why that specific Auror unit had left suddenly in the night and Professor Elierson was little help, though she was a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.   
  
Reagan did her best to keep her thoughts to a minimum in Defense Against the Dark Arts, though Professor Elierson hadn't made mention of being able to hear what she was thinking. The new teacher seemed a bit flaky, but she knew her stuff. Professor Lockhart had worked them more on solving problems, using logic and seeing through deception; Professor Elierson's lessons worked them on spells and jinxes. They did more magical dark art defenses and Reagan came to realize that there was a lot more to Defense Against the Dark Arts than she originally thought.   
  
Reagan woke one morning and thought that her room was on fire. Pulling back her hanging from her four poster bed, she realized that her bed was surrounded by not flames, but flowers.   
  
"Pretty aren't they?" Josie asked from her bed. She was sitting against her head, a book propped open on her lap. "It was rather funny to see them all brought in. It took four house elves three trips to get them all in here."   
  
"You were awake when they brought them in?" Reagan asked, looking around for a card. "Did they say-"   
  
"They told me they weren't allowed to say," Josie said. "It was sweet of Trevor to do though."   
  
Reagan looked at her. "I don't think Trevor would have sent me all these flowers. This would have cost a fortune. Besides, Trevor and I aren't like that."   
  
"Whatever you say," Josie replied. "But then who would have sent them?"   
  
Reagan thought for a moment. And then, a warm comforting feeling swept through her body and she smiled, realizing who they were from.   
  
"Thank you Daddy," she whispered.   
  
"Hum?" Josie asked, looking at Reagan oddly.   
  
"Nothing," she said quickly and got up to dress, careful not to knock any of her flowers over. There were voices all along the floor, of all shapes and sizes, surrounding her bed, along the window, lined atop her trunk, and covering her bedside table. Beautiful vases, some glass, some porcelain, all filled with roses of every possible color. As the sunlight spread onto the rose petals, it filled the room with color and light, reds, pinks and yellows cascaded along the walls.   
  
"Reagan what are you burning?" Caitlin asked sleepily from her bed. She poked her head out of her hanging and goggled at the amount of flowers Reagan stood in the middle of.   
  
"Whoa," her cousin said and Reagan smiled at her. "Did Trevor send you those?"   
  
"Why does everyone think Trevor would send me flowers?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well, because its you and Trevor," Caitlin replied. "If Trevor sent you those then Nicky is in big trouble."   
  
"There was no note," Reagan replied. "But I'm pretty sure that Trevor didn't send them. So don't go hurting Finch-Fletchy before he has a chance to give you your Valentine's Day present."   
  
Reagan knew that the flowers weren't from Trevor, though she wondered if he was going to get her something for Valentine's Day. She had spent hours coming up with her gift ot him, and she hoped he would like it. They had never officially said that they were going to get each other gifts for Valentine's Day, but Reagan decided that she was going to give him her gift even if he didn't get her anything. She tucked the gift in her book bag and set off to breakfast with the other Gryffindors.   
  
Nick Finch-Fletchy had a box of chocolate frogs with a red bow tied across the box waiting for Caitlin when she sat down at the table. After the mail came, Reagan, Ethan, Caitlin, Paul and Darenn each got a box of fudge from their Grandmum, and Darenn and Reagan each got a Valentine and a box of sugar quills from their mother.   
  
As Reagan finished her breakfast, another owl came and dropped an envelope on her lap. Curious, she opened it and read:   
  
_ All girls should receive flowers on Valentine's Day! Love, Dad _  
  
Reagan smiled and read it again, before showing it to Josie, who smiled and awed a bit falsely. Reagan put the note into her bag and got up to leave. She looked around for Trevor, wondering why she hadn't seen him yet and caught sight of him standing by the door. He smiled at her and motioned for her to follow him.   
  
"I'll see you in class," Reagan said to Josie and headed off towards Trevor.   
  
"Good morning," he said as she got closer.   
  
"Morning," she replied. "Did you miss breakfast?"   
  
"Yeah, but I don't really eat that much for breakfast anyway." He smiled at her and took her hand. "Come on, I want to show you something."   
  
"Trevor, I have Charms in five minutes," Reagan protested.   
  
"It won't take that long," he replied. She walked quickly beside him down the hall and up the stairs towards the library. He stopped just outside the library doors.   
  
"I didn't want to give this to you with everyone around," he said, handing her a silvery box.   
  
"What is this?"   
  
"Happy Valentine's Day," he said.   
  
"Trevor, you didn't have to--"   
  
"I know," he replied. "But I wanted to. Open it."   
  
Blushing, Reagan opened the small silver box. Inside was a silver locket but it didn't appear to be on any sort of chain.   
  
"Its a locket," he explained. "Its a magical locket. I was going to get you flowers but I had a tip that you would be over your head in flowers this year."   
  
"Yeah, I am. My dad, he went a bit overboard. This is beautiful," she said. "Does it open?"   
  
"In a way," Trevor said taking it from her. "It opens, but instead of there being a picture, there is a..."   
  
As he opened the locket a miniature image of two people dancing. The boy was twirling the girl around who was laughing.   
  
"Is that us?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah," he replied. "A three inch memory of us dancing at the Winter Ball."   
  
"That is so cool," she said taking it from him. She watched the image of them dancing, twirling and her laughing replayed a few times before pulling his gift out of her bag.   
  
"Whats this?"   
  
"Your Valentine's Day gift," she replied.   
  
"Reagan, you didn't have to get me anything," he said.   
  
"I know," she said and closed the locket. "But I wanted to get you something even though I wasn't expecting anything from you."   
  
"Well thank you," he said. He opened the velvet red box and pulled out a silver watch with a black leather band. The rim of the face of the watch was a sliver snake and the numbers were an emarald green.   
  
"Reagan, this is cool," Trevor said looking at it and then at her. "Where did you find it?"   
  
"Not telling," she replied. "However I did get some odd looks when I bought it. I mean I signed Potter on the slip and was wearing a Gryffindor scarf."   
  
"I can see how that would earn you some sidewase glances," Trevor said and smiled. "Thank you Reagan, this is perfect."   
  
"I'm glad you like it," she replied. "Thank you for my locket," she said.   
  
"You are very welcome," he replied. She smiled at him and before she knew it, she was putting her arms around him and hugging him. He hugged her back and whispered, "Happy Valentine's Day, Reagan Potter." And for a moment she wondered if everyone else saw what she and Trevor seemed oblivious too.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
On the first Saturday in March, which was particularly snowy, Reagan sat with Trevor, Cal and Josie in the library, working her way through Professor Elierson's essay on jinxes that made you bleed _ (In your opinion which are the best jinxes that cause a person to bleed, why is this your opinion and give a detailed description of each, at least five jinxes must be discussed)_. Cal had his nose buried in a Transfiguration book, finishing an essay he had put off, and Josie was muttering an Erasing Charm under her breath every thirty seconds as she worked at an Arithmancy problem.   
  
"Oh come on Reagan," Josie said, exasperated. "I don't understand this problem, please just let me see your paper!"   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Josie, you won't learn it. Thats why you don't understand it because I always let you see my paper. I'll explain it to you, but I'm not helping you if I just tell you the answers."   
  
Josie glared at her friend. "Its Arithmancy, Reagan. I'll never understand it. Its just the way it is."   
  
"You could try," Reagan suggested.   
  
"You could let me see your paper," Josie replied.   
  
"Josie, just try," Reagan pleaded. "I've already explained it to you, just work through it and think about it."   
  
Josie huffed and went back to her paper, giving Reagan dirty looks.   
  
"I still don't understand why you kept Arithmancy," Cal said from inside his book.   
  
"Because I thought I'd have a friend to help me through it," she replied cooly, not looking up form her parchment.   
  
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Reagan cried. "Josie I will not let you cheat off my paper!"   
  
"Fine, don't be any help!" Josie cried back at her. "Don't tell me the answer! It doesn't matter, you don't tell me anything any more!"   
  
"Josie what are you talking about?" Reagan asked. "What don't I tell you?"   
  
Josie ignored her, pushing her book and parchment into her bag, cramming her quill and ink bottle on top.   
  
"Oh think about it Reagan!" Josie replied. "Or is your father too far away that he can't tell you that answer either?"   
  
Reagan gapped at Josie as she threw her bag over her shoulder and stormed out of the library. Reagan looked quickly at Cal and he was putting his books into his bag also.   
  
"She has a point, Reagan," Cal replied. "I'll see you at dinner."   
  
Reagan rounded on Trevor. "What-?"   
  
"Don't start on me, Reagan," Trevor said. "I didn't breath a word. She probably figured it out on her own."   
  
"I don't believe this," Reagan said. She packed her book bag quickly, and giving Trevor an apologetic look she left the library.   
  
As she reached the portrait of the fat lady, Darenn came out, holding a letter.   
  
"Reagan, I was just coming to find you," he said.   
  
"Not now, Darenn," she said.   
  
"Whats wrong?" he asked.   
  
"I don't know, I think Josie and Cal know about my Connection."   
  
"Did you tell them?" Darenn asked and Reagan shook her head.   
  
"Josie said something about Dad being too far away to give me answers and then stormed out of the library. Cal agreed and followed her. So I came to find them and, I don't know, I guess tell them everything."   
  
"Well good luck," Darenn said.   
  
"Why did you need to find me?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Oh, Mum sent us a letter with news on Dad."   
  
"What does she say?"   
  
"Here," Darenn said and handed her the letter.   
  
_ Dear Darenn and Reagan,  
Your father is well and sends his love. There now you can both breath. We can't know where he is, no one can. Aunt Hermione knows, but she won't tell Uncle Ron and he's in a right state about it. He's been here twice this week ranting about how she follows rules too much and she should throw the rule book out the window. Anyway, your father is well, and sends word from Professor Lockhart. He says that Professor Elierson wasn't his first choice, and hopes she isn't too creepy. Lane Elierson went to school with Uncle Bill, and he says she's as consistent as the wind, whatever that means. I have never met the woman, however I have had my share of horrid teachers, so just bear with it. Reagan, your father also says to stop worrying, stop stressing and stop prying. Hope you two are doing well in school, keep your marks up! Good luck against Ravenclaw for the Cup! All my love,   
Mum  
  
_ Reagan felt a bit better after reading the letter and she handed it back to her brother before entering the Gryffindor common room. She scanned the room for her friends, and not seeing them, went upstairs to her dormitory.   
  
Josie was sitting on her bed, Cal at the base and neither one was saying anything. Cal looked up as Reagan came into the room, and then glanced at Josie, still not saying anything. Reagan went to her own bed and set her book bag down before taking a seat on her bed.   
  
None of them spoke for a few minutes until Reagan broke the silence.   
  
"How did you find out?"   
  
Josie huffed. "A little bird told me."   
  
"Honestly, Josie," Reagan said, rolling her eyes.   
  
"What does it matter how I found out?" Josie asked. "The point is you didn't tell me. You didn't tell Cal."   
  
"Leave me out of this one for now," Cal said.   
  
"Fine," Josie said. "You didn't tell me."   
  
"Josie I'm sorry," Reagan said. "It wasn't something I wanted everyone to know. It was never the right time to tell you."   
  
"For the past four years you haven't found any time that you could have told me?" Josie asked disbelieving. "Reagan, I'm your best friend. There is no right a wrong time to tell me something."   
  
"Are you mad that I didn't tell you, or are you mad that it exists in the first place?"   
  
"Well I can't be mad that it exists," Josie said, and Reagan felt a little better. "I mean, its nothing that you could have controlled. I wish you would have told me. It would have made somethings easier."   
  
"What would it have made easier?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Well for one thing I wouldn't have thought you were going insane," Josie said. "I wouldn't have gone to my dad and told him about how you were hearing voices and spacing out in class."   
  
"You went to your dad?" Reagan asked and she realized who Josie's little bird was.   
  
Josie nodded. "When we came back to school, you weren't as, well, as weird as you were last term but there have still been times when you've been a bit out of it."   
  
"Its not like I space out or anything," Reagan said. "My magical senses are just a lot keener than yours, or anyone else's for that matter. I pick up on time waves. Thats what usually happens when I space out."   
  
"I know, I've read about it," Josie said. "I looked it up in the library, I've done the research."   
  
"How much do you know then?"   
  
"Enough," Josie said, sniffling. "Enough to know that I don't have a Connection with my father and you do. Enough to know that logically I should have one with my father."   
  
"Josie thats one of the reason's I didn't tell you," Reagan said. "I didn't want-"   
  
"You didn't want me to feel more out of place in my own family," Josie burst out. Tears were flowing down her cheeks now. "You didn't want to rub it in that I shouldn't be a Malfoy. I'm in Gryffindor for heaven's sake! What respectable Malfoy gets sorted into Gryffindor. Everything makes sense now. My father always said that the Potters were perfect and that nothing ever bad happened to them. Perfect Harry Potter with his Perfect Auror resume and his perfect wife and his perfect family and his perfect Connection of Three with his daughter. Perfect Reagan Potter who is good at everything and makes the Quidditch team and who has a perfect boyfriend-"   
  
"Trevor is not my boyfriend," Reagan pleaded, tears filling her eyes."   
  
"-Perfect Reagan Potter who was nice to the bad seed Malfoy girl who got sorted into the opposite house as the rest of her family. You are the exact opposite of me. You don't know what its like being hated by your family, having them rub it in your face constantly that you are a screw up and the you should have never been born!"   
  
"Josie, I don't think they think that about you-"   
  
"Being me is horrible! You wouldn't know because you are a perfect Potter! You don't know what its like feeling out of place your entire life. Before Hogwarts, I never got along with my family or my brothers because they were different than I was, they were mean. And I came here and I wanted to be sorted into Slytherin so badly. And you know what the Sorting Hat told me? It said Oh look, a Malfoy, but this one is different than the others. I told it I wasn't, that I didn't want to be different and it told me that I was and that I to learn to love with it. It told me I wasn't meant to be in Slytherin that I wasn't a Slytherin in my heart. And it put me in Gryffindor. I was terrified. My brothers glared at me, and the sorting Hat confirmed what everyone I knew had told me all along. I was different! I wasn't meant to be in Slytherin! I wasn't good enough for Slytherin! I wanted to be put in slytherin so badly, to show my father that I was worthy of being a Malfoy!"   
  
"Josie, the Sorting Hat didn't make a mistake, you are not a Slytherin. You have never acted or shown any characteristic that the Slytherins do," Reagan said.   
  
"Trevor is a Slytherin. He doesn't act like one."   
  
"Trevor is in Slytherin because he is incredibly ambitious. The Hat made its decision based on his blood line. Trevor didn't know enough about his parents to know he shouldn't be in slytherin."   
  
"My entire family has been in Slytherin," Josie said. "Every one but me. EVERYONE BUT ME! All Malfoys have been put into Slytherin but me. I'm not worthy enough to be a Malfoy because I got put into Gryffindor. I'm not worthy of being in Slytherin. I'm not worthy of my father's love because I don't have a magical connection to him like you do with your father. I get better marks that Sabin and Mathias and still my father finds something to complain about. I get better marks than he did when he was in school and still I'm not good enough. I can't beat you on a single test or project because you perfect Potter. And you're so damned good at everything because you have a magical connection that allows you to know things."   
  
"Hang on just a minute now," Reagan said. "I'm good at things because I study and I read and I practice. My connection with my father does not effect that I know. It may allow me to pick things up faster but thats it. If you want to pick things up faster, take a Memory Enhancement Serum, it does the same thing. It has the same effect. Don't go assuming that I am only the way I am because of my connection. Both my brothers are good at things before I was and they don't have a connection. I'm good because I want to be, not because I have two older brothers and a good relationship with my father."   
  
"But your Connection has made things easier for you," Josie said.   
  
"Easier?" Reagan repeated. "How did it make things easier? I hear voices in my head. I see my father's memories walking down the hall. I get pulled into the past to watch what goes on. The only thing that is made easier is when I'm playing chess and my father is standing behind me and he can think what move to make and I'll think the same thing. And he's bad at wizard chess so in reality that doesn't help much. Having a connection has been hard a a pain. I spent my Christmas break watching my father watch people die in his memories. I've seen what he's seen, I've seen the same people die that he has because we have a connection. Do you think I enjoy watching people die? Do you think I enjoy seeing a fifteen year old ghostly figure of my father and uncle walk down the hall past me? Do you think I like hearing voices in my head? At first I thought I was going insane. My connection is more of a burden than a blessing. And if my father dies then I die too because then our connection would be broken and one cannot live without the other."   
  
Josie stared at her, her eyes wide. Reagan regained control of her breathing and realized that she had tears flowing down her face as well.   
  
"I didn't realize it was like that," Josie said. "I thought you got to talk to your father telepathically and cheat on tests and stuff."   
  
"Having a connection alters my magical ability. Its amplifies it, but not enough to matter; it makes it stronger, but its only stronger because it has my father's magical powers supporting it and that makes it much more perceptive of what is going on around me. Like time waves, sounds and solutions. I can figure things out a little quicker. I'm not a better witch because I have a Connection of three with my father. I work hard to be good. The Connection doesn't make me good."   
  
"I'm sorry I didn't realize it was so hard on you," Josie said looking at the bed.   
  
"And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about my Connection."   
  
Josie sighed. "Are you mad at me?"   
  
Reagan laughed. "That depends, are you mad at me?"   
  
"No," Josie said.   
  
"Then no, I'm not mad at you either," Reagan replied.   
  
"And I'm not mad at you either," Cal said.   
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you either Cal," Reagan said.   
  
"Nah, don't worry about it. It didn't bother me as much. I didn't grow up with magic so these kind if things don't mean much to me and I don't understand them. So no harm done. I don't really understand what this Connection thing is so I don't know what I've been kept in the dark about, so it really doesn't bother me that much."   
  
Reagan laughed and turning to Josie she asked, "Are we okay now?"   
  
"Yeah," Josie nodded. She got off her bed and threw her arms around Reagan.   
  
But the moment Josie touched Reagan, Reagan saw an image as clear as day, a platform in the air with four sets of stairs leading up to it, but not down, and Josian Malfoy falling off the top.   
_ A/N: I am so incredibly sorry about the enormous gap in-between the posting of the last chapter and this one. I moved to a different state, got a job and haven't had internet access until tonight. And this is the first thing I am doing!!! I hope you all don't hate me for posting this late, and I assure you I do intent to finish this fic along with its sequel. Besides, we have no Harry Potter movie to look forward to this Thanksgiving so writing will have to make up for it!!   
  
Also since I have been out of the internet world for sometime I was upset to see that Gryffindor Tower is no longer running. Can anyone let me know why????   
  
Okay, now for the fic stuff. The note that Reagan got with her flowers that said "All girls should get flowers on Valentine's Day" was actually written by my dad. Thats really the only thing that I didnÕt make up, well aside from all the stuff JK Rowling did.   
  
I'll post again soon, I PROMISE!!!!!  
Love,  
~Erica   
_


	17. Chapter 17: Fools Don't Win the Cup

Chapter Seventeen: Fools Don't Win the Cup   
_ Disclaimer: I do not own anything. :)   
  
A/N: Please see the note at the bottom of the chapter. _   
  
April Fools was always an interesting time at Hogwarts. Reagan walked with Josie up the stairs towards their Arithmancy class having just left Cal at the base of the stairs. As they walked to class they passed younger students playing practical jokes on each other, yelling "april Fools!" in the end.   
  
"I wish Professor Lupin would have shouted 'April Fools!' after he wrote all that homework on the board," Josie said. "I almost fell off my chair when he said it was due next class."   
  
"He has a sense of humor," Reagan said. "Its just a bad time for him right now. He's tired... and grumpy."   
  
"Grumpy people can still say 'April Fools!' after they dish out a load of homework," Josie replied.   
  
Reagan shook her head, laughing to herself, and a ghostly image of Josie falling flashed before her eyes. Reagan ignored it. Since her three day stay in the Hospital wing after fainting in her dormitory almost a month before she had been having random flashed of the horrible image. She didn't tell Josie this, or anyone for that matter. Reagan didn't know what it meant, and if it was nothing then she didn't want to make anyone worry.   
  
She also knew that if she fainted again she's be sent back to the hospital wing, and Madame Pomfrey had told her that if she saw her again for the rest of the year, she would not allow her to play Quidditch anymore. As it was she had not been allowed to return to practice for ten days after her three day nap.   
  
"Did your brother call a practice for tonight?" Josie asked.   
  
"No, he had too much homework," Reagan replied. "And he must have had a lot for him to cancel a bonus practice."   
  
"Its probably a good thing that we don't have to practice tonight," Josie said. "We can start on Lupin's thirty six inch long list of homework... Do we have to go to Arithmancy?"   
  
"Yes we do," Reagan replied. They had approached the door to their classroom, stepping aside to let some of the other students pass through while they had their usual debate about Arithmancy.   
  
"I'd rather be flying than sit though Professor Cantra's lectures," Josie stated.   
  
"flying?" Reagan asked. "In this?" She glanced towards the nearest window which showed the Hogwarts grounds in a late season blizzard .   
  
"Yes," Josie replied. "Even in this."   
  
"Well, its lucky for you that we have an exam today so Professor Cantra won't be lecturing. And you won't freeze your knickers off."   
  
"I am grateful," Josie replied, rolling her eyes. Reagan grabbed onto her friend's shoulder and lead her into the classroom.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
It was also on this day that Reagan got a pleasant surprise when she walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts. After Arithmancy, she was a bit tired, and she didn't believe her eyes when she saw at the head of the classroom not a sour faced witch, but an energetic blond wizard tapping the chalk board with his wand.   
  
"Professor Lockhart!" Reagan cried as she came into the room. "You're back!"   
  
Professor Lockhart smiled. "So I am!"   
  
"When did you get back?" Josie asked.   
  
"Last night, actually," he replied. "I was very anxious to get back into my classroom, and even more anxious to get you all away from Professor Elierson."   
  
"She was a troll," Josie said immediately.   
  
"Josie, that was a bit harsh," Reagan whispered.   
  
"I've heard worse about the woman actually," Professor Lockhart said. "But I'll explain more about her later."   
  
"Professor, if you're back then does that mean that my father came home too?" Reagan asked.   
  
Professor Lockhart paused. "No, Reagan, he didn't, actually, he had to stay behind with a small group of Agents. Our mission was essentially completed, however he stayed behind with a few to clean up and secure the situation."   
  
"Oh," Reagan said and sat down.   
  
"He'll be all right, Reagan," Cal said to her.   
  
"He always is," Josie added.   
  
Reagan nodded and folded her hands over her book bag, laying her head upon them. She waited quietly as the rest of class came into the room, all buzzing with the same excitement as they saw Professor Lockhart.   
  
"All right, settle down please," Professor Lockhart called over the chatter of the class. "Now, I want to know what you all thought of Professor Elierson." No one spoke, most to afraid to say what they really thought of the woman.   
  
"She's a delightful woman, don't you think?" Professor Lockhart asked. "I bet all of you are wondering what Professor Elierson was and why I chose her to fill for me while I was gone. Now part of me is sorry that you had to deal with Lane Elierson, however, it got you exposure to another magical creature."   
  
"Professor Elierson wasn't human?" Bolton Stumps asked.   
  
"Professor Elierson was half human," Professor Lockhart replied. "She was also half-Nauthron."   
  
"Half-Nauthron?" Lane asked.   
  
"Yes, Miss Caldwell," Professor Lockhart said. "Does anyone know what a Nauthron is?"   
  
Josie took a side glance at Reagan. Reagan ignored her and slowly raised her hand.   
  
"A Nauthron is a being who can read minds, in a way. They are basically a filter. They are very aware of what other people are thinking. They hear everyone's voices in their heads."   
  
"Very good Miss Potter," Professor Lockhart replied. "Now as they grow older, Nauthrons are able to block other thoughts out, turn the volume down in a way. Sometimes, though, especially when there are a lot of people in the room, and that person is overwhelmed, their guard can be down, and your thoughts could penetrate into their mind. Yes Miss Malfoy."   
  
"These Nauthron sound more like magical creatures," Josie said. "What do they have to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts?"   
  
"I was just getting to that actually," Professor Lockhart replied. "Now when I left, there were three half- Nauthron that I asked to fill in for me. Lane Elierson was the only one that was able to. Now half- Nauthron are an asset to both sides, the good and the bad, for obvious reasons. There are also a few other magical creatures that both sides will have. Does anyone know what these others may be?"   
  
"Werewolves."   
  
"Giants."   
  
"Kneazles."   
  
"Goblins."   
  
"Vela."   
  
"Excellent!" Professor Lockhart replied. "It is important to know what your enemies weapons will be. It make the game more equal. Yes Miss Kikiston?"   
  
"Would that mean magic as well?" Liliah Kikiston asked.   
  
"Yes, it would," Professor Lockhart replied. "Some wizards and witches don't think that the Dark Arts are something that need to be studied by the good guys. Now does anyone know why that doesn't make sense? Mr. Morris?"   
  
"If the bad side knows good and dark magic, and the good side only knows good magic, then there are tons of things that they cannot prepare for. They won't know what they are up against, or how to ward things off or anything. They would be defenseless."   
  
"Exactly, five points to Gryffindor," Professor Lockhart replied. "That the exact reason for this class. To teach and prepare you for the worst."   
  
"But Professor," Damien Stone began. "There hasn't been a war in over twenty years. Why would they still have this class in the curriculum if there was no need for it?"   
  
"There is always a need for this class," Professor Lockhart said, his face turning serious. "As long as there are people in this world who want to harm other people there will always be a need for this class. Yes Miss Potter?"   
  
"Professor," Reagan began. "I know that there will always be a need for this class, to prepare us for the worst. And I know how useful this class can be when a wizard is faced against that worst. But couldn't a danger come from a less obvious source?"   
  
"Certainly," Professor Lockhart replied. "It could come from anything, anyone, anywhere."   
  
The words "Constant Vigilance!" came to mind as she continued. "For example, Professor Elierson. Since she was able to hear our thoughts, she could be a potential threat."   
  
"How so Miss Potter?" Professor Lockhart asked.   
  
"Well, even though she was only half- Nauthron, she still had the ability to hear our thoughts. And she was basically able to turn her ability off an on, though not as well as a full blooded Nauthron would be able to. This ability would still be a potential threat. If someone were cheating on an exam, should might be able to hear them as they thought about cheating. That could get them into trouble. Or it could be something bigger. If someone was a secret keeper and she passed by someone in a shop, she might be able to hear that thought as well. She could pose as a potential threat. If anyone who comes into contact with her has something they don't want to be known, she might find that something out.   
  
"Its a small chance, I know," Reagan continued. "However, the threat is still there. And since we are able to ward ourselves against dark jinxes and hexes, there would need to be a way to block her out as well, even if she is on the good side."   
  
"Why would we need to block her out if she were on the good side?" Stacie Perrot asked.   
  
"Because," Reagan answered, turning towards the Slytherins. "She would be a potential threat. Say you and your family went into hiding and I was your secret keeper. If I bumped into her at a shop, your location might pop into my head. If you needed a Secret Keeper, then there would be a threat from a Dark witch or wizard and each possible person that I saw on the street could be a potential bad guy. So your safe location pops into my head. She didn't make me tell her, and its innocent enough that it popped into my head. However, all magical creature, no matter how pure blooded they may be, all have to be registered. Its quite easy to get hold of a registration list and a bad guy could just look her up, track her down and find out what random thoughts she has in her head. It also would be hard to put her under the Imperious Curse and make her follow me around, hoping to hear what I know.   
  
"So there would need to be a way to guard myself from that. A way to not let my thoughts wander like that," Reagan finished. "Don't you agree Stacie?"   
  
"I guess so," she replied. "But you are basically asking for a way to shut off your thoughts, to basically close your mind to any outside eyes. That's impossible."   
  
"Maybe," Reagan replied. "But then again maybe not."   
  
"Miss Potter does make an excellent point," Professor Lockhart cut in. Reagan was about to tell Stacie exactly how to shut her mind, her mouth and where she should shove all her stupid comments and questions. "Now in your books there is a wonderful chapters on the defenses against magical creatures. Read it and write me an essay. Give me any ideas you may have about the topic, you can include and expand on what Miss Potter has just brought up, or if you have any ideas of your own, those are more than welcome as well. This is an easy grade I'm handing you. Read the chapter and write twenty four inches about it. There are no wrong answers here."   
  
Reagan was still grumbling about Stacie Perrot later that night as she worked on one of her essays for Lupin. Sitting in the library with Trevor made things a little better, but Reagan was in a horrible mood.   
  
"Reagan, she's just a nasty little girl," Trevor said. "You can't let her get to you."   
  
"So now I'm a little girl?" Reagan asked.   
  
"No, not you, her... she is a little girl."   
  
"Trevor, we're in the same year. We are the same age. How can she be a little girl and me not be one too?"   
  
"Because you don't act like her," Trevor explained. "I've seen her in the common room. She acts more like a second year than she does a fourth year. Besides, I'm pretty sure she turned fourteen at the beginning of last summer. You're almost fifteen, Reagan."   
  
"Oh yes, and I have to act my age, don't I?" Reagan spat, ripping a page of her book and she turned the page. Glaring she waved her wand and repaired the damage.   
  
"Reagan you can act however old you want, just don't take it out on me," Trevor said.   
  
"I'm sorry Trevor," Reagan apologized. "She just put me in a bad mood."   
  
"Some Slytherins have a way of doing that," Trevor said.   
  
"Unfortunately most of them can change my mood for the worst."   
  
"Most of them?" Trevor asked. Reagan rolled her eyes and flipped to the glossary of her text book.   
  
"There are a few I don't mind."   
  
"Okay," Trevor replied. "So speaking of your birthday, what would you like?"   
  
"Excuse me?" Reagan asked.   
  
"What do you want for your birthday?" Trevor asked. "Is there anything you want? Anything you need?"   
  
Reagan sighed. "What I really want if for my dad to come home."   
  
"He'll come home, Reagan," Trevor said. "He'll be all right."   
  
"I know, I know," Reagan replied. "I just have this really bad feeling about it. Like something horrible is going to happen."   
  
"Maybe its just nerves," Trevor offered. "You do play Ravenclaw soon."   
  
"In two weeks," Reagan replied. "I don't know. I know what nerves feel like. This is... this is different."   
  
"Is there anything else you'd like? You know, incase I can't get your dad home?"   
  
"Trevor you don't have to get me anything," Reagan told him.   
  
"I know I don't. What about candy? What's your favorite kind of candy?"   
  
"Chocolate toffees," Reagan replied. "But Darenn or James usually get me those. They always have. I don't know, Trevor. If I think of anything I'll tell you."   
  
"Fair enough," Trevor said. "In the meantime I'll ask Darenn or Cal and Josie if they have any ideas."   
  
"Fair enough," Reagan replied.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Thirteen days later Reagan stood in her Quidditch robes near the entrance of the locker room. Josie was tying and retying her boots; Lane had her eyes close, lip bit and was mentally going over each offensive and defensive play they had. Her cousin, Paul, was bent over a model of the Quidditch pitch, prodding the figures with his wand, making every possible scenario happen in miniature. Denley Thompson, their seventh year Beater was staring straight ahead, face as white as chalk, grinding his teeth, while Logan Wood was flat on his back on the floor, eyes closed and was tossing a Quaffle up and down. Darenn, having already given his pre-game speech was three lockers away from Reagan skimming over a play book he and James had created in a previous summer. Reagan seemed to be the only calm one on the team. They were moments away from starting their match against Ravenclaw, which could win them the House Cup.   
  
_"Its just another game, just a regular match against Ravenclaw. We've beaten them in pervious years, we'll beat them again,"_ Darenn had said minutes earlier before he turned them each loose to to whatever it was they did to prepare for a match.   
  
For Reagan it was watching everyone else get nervous.   
  
"Its time," Darenn announced and everyone looked at one another. They moved towards the stadium doors, in their tight formation, Paul and Josie in front, Darenn and Denley in the next row, Lane and Logan in the third row, and Reagan at the end in a row all by herself.   
  
"We could look a little livelier," Reagan said to them. "Come on, look excited, we all like Quidditch. You all look like someone is going to die."   
  
"She's right, team," Darenn agreed. "Put some energy into it. Can't you hear our fans? They're fired up, we've got to get fired up too. They came to see us win! Lets not let them leave disappointed!"   
  
"Yeah!!" came a triumphant cheer from the team.   
  
"That's what I like to see!" Professor Lupin said from behind them. "I'm glad to see you guys pumped up for the match. Good luck!! Gryffindor for the cup!!"   
  
"Yeah!!" came another triumphant cheer. Moments later the door opened and they each mounted their brooms and shot off into the stadium.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
The match started off well. Lane scored, then Reagan scored. Denley hit a Bludger which knocked their Keeper off his broom. He recovered and missed the next Quaffle Reagan threw in. Then Ravenclaw scored twice, and their Seeker almost caught the Snitch, and almost means she was inched from it before she smacked her nose on her broom and in the commotion of her bloody nose the Snitch was lost again.   
  
However, that was an hour ago.   
  
Reagan ducked as a Bludger came towards her out of nowhere. She rolled to the right, the Quaffle clutched tightly beside her. She wove her way through the Ravenclaw players towards their goal line. The score was 120 to 130, Gryffindor, and neither Seeker had spotted the Snitch in a good thirty minutes. Reagan passed the Quaffle to Lane who's pass was caught by the Ravenclaw Keeper, a fellow fourth year, Parker Osborn. Reagan liked him well enough but she wished that he would stop catching their throws.   
  
Reagan fell back behind Lane and Logan as they flew off towards their own goal posts. Sixth year Chaser Leo Mathews had the Quaffle and was streaking an incredible speed towards the Gryffindor Keeper. Reagan crossed her fingers as he threw it, and Paul missed. Reagan hung her head as a loud gong echoed through the stadium and a voice cried, "Ten points to Ravenclaw!"   
  
Reagan turned around as Lane came towards her with the Quaffle. Reagan stayed a few feet ahead of her to catch the Quaffle if she passed her and threw it.   
  
"Ready?" Lane called and Reagan nodded. Reagan dropped her altitude a bit and slowed as Lane flew over her, dropping the Quaffle. Reagan easily grabbed it as it fell and hurried towards the goal posts. She had a liking for the middle post, but she went for the far right one this time, faking to the middle then throwing to the right.   
  
"And Osborn misses, a great fake by Reagan Potter! Ten points to Gryffindor!" the announcing voice said. "If any time was a good time for a Seekers catch, now would be the time!"   
  
"No kidding!" Reagan said under her breath as she flew back towards the Ravenclaw side. "Come one Josie!"   
  
"Reagan brake!" Josie screamed and her and Reagan stopped immediately, which was a second soon enough as Josie and the Ravenclaw Seeker, Cayenne Piers, a tiny seventh year, streaked past her. Josie was gaining on the Snitch, her hand stretched out towards it. Reagan turned her broom, watching them chase after the Snitch. They rounded the bottom wall of the stadium, racing towards the Ravenclaw goal posts. It seemed that a few other players had stopped playing and were watching the Seekers fly, all hoping that it would soon be over.   
  
Josie and Cayenne were neck and neck now, both hands stretched out, fingers wiggling trying to get to the Snitch before the other. The Snitch dove, the two Seekers dove after it. Neither one looked at the other, their focus stayed on the Snitch. However, they should have been paying attention at how fast the ground was approaching because both of them smacked into it straight on.   
  
Instantly Reagan was off to that end of the field, her ears thumping in the cold. When she go to the mess of robes and bodies that was Cayenne and Josie she found what she wasn't expecting.   
  
Both girls were laughing, trying to separate themselves from each other. Josie's robe was over her head, her blond hair poking out from the sides. Cayenne's dark hair was a mess, with bits of grass entwined in it.   
  
"Josian Malfoy you crazy girl!! DID YOU GET THE SNITCH??!!" came Darenn's voice from behind Reagan.   
  
Josie stood up, pulled her robe off her head and raised her hand into the air. Clutched tightly in her hand was a small glittering Golden Snitch trying to get loose.   
  
The stadium erupted in cheers. It was deafening. Reagan practically jumped off her broom and tackled Josie in an enormous hug. Darenn was soon an the ground beside him, both his arms around his sister and her friend. Paul jumped off his broom, landing on top of them, and they all fell to the grass. Lane and Logan came running towards the pile of Gryffindor players and Denley has tears running down his cheeks.   
  
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!! 290 TO 130!! A SPECTACULAR CATCH BY GRYFFINDOR SEEKER, JOSIAN MALFOY!! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE QUIDDITCH CUP!!"   
  
By the time the Gryffindor team got to their feet, the Quidditch Cup had already made it the entire way across the field to them. Most of Gryffindor House was on the field with their team, cheering and congratulating them on their victory. Darenn took the Cup, handed it to Josie, and their House lifted the entire Gryffindor team onto their shoulders and carried them off to the castle. Reagan caught a glimpse of Trevor, walking with a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff up to the castle. He waved at her with a huge smile spread across his face. Somehow Reagan was able to get off the shoulders of some seventh year and ran to Trevor, throwing her arms around him.   
  
"Congratulations!!" he cried into her ear.   
  
"Thanks!" she replied. "I'm sorry, I'm all sweaty and I smell like grass, but I had to come see you!"   
  
"Reagan, you smell fine!" Trevor laughed.   
  
"I bet!" Reagan replied, half laughing. "I've got to go, Darenn will kill me if I don't hit the showers when everyone else does."   
  
"Reagan, go," Trevor said. "I'll see you at dinner."   
  
"Oh food sounds so good right now!" Reagan groaned. "And so does a hot shower!"   
  
"Go!" Trevor laughed pointing towards the crowd of Gryffindors nearing the castle doors. She nodded and with a grin took off into a dead run after her housemates.   
  
"She had to come see you, did she?" asked Trevor's Hufflepuff friend.   
  
"Oh stop," Trevor said. "Reagan and I are just--"   
  
"Friends," the Gryffindor supplied. "We know, you've told us. Though you and Reagan Potter seem to be very good friends, very close friends."   
  
"Regular friends," Trevor replied.   
  
"She's got a lot to get through to get to her, Trevor," the Gryffindor said.   
  
"Yes, yes, I know," Trevor said. "I've met her father, I've met both of her brothers. I'll be okay!"   
  
"Its your head," the Hufflepuff said.   
  
Trevor sighed. "She's worth it."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Reagan walked into the Great Hall later that evening with the rest of her team. The entire Gryffindor table stood up and applauded, along with the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw.   
  
"Didn't we just beat them?" Reagan asked Josie as they sat down. "Why is Ravenclaw applauding us if they just lost to us?"   
  
"Same reason Cayenne and I were laughing," Josie replied, taking a piece of bread. "The Ravenclaw team decided that were were the only team that was worthy of loosing to them. Not only because of our talent, but because of the people we had on our team, and the quality of our team on and off the field. We played fair and we played right. We worked for what we got, and we don't cheat."   
  
"Then why were you and Cayenne laughing?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Because after we landed she asked I had the Snitch and I said I did. She laughed and said good because she was hoping it wasn't my handing moving around on her butt for the fun of it. She said she wouldn't think to ask if it was a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin's hand, but since I was a Gryffindor, she didn't think I'd be that grotesque."   
  
"I see," Reagan giggled.   
  
"Speaking of Slytherins," Josie said, glancing over Reagan's shoulder. "Something wicked this way comes."   
  
Before Reagan could turn around a note was dropped into her lap, and Trevor whispered in her ear, "For your eyes only, for reasons of absolute secrecy." Reagan nodded and glanced at him as he walked away.   
  
She opened her note, and in silvery loopy letters it read:   
  
_ Meet me in the Entrance Hall at noon, tomorrow. I've okayed it with Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin, both your brothers and your mother. Its time for Moussey and Sammy to have some fun. ~TD _  
  
"What's it say?" Josie asked.   
  
Reagan grinned. "Nothing."   
  
  
_ Author Note: In Latin Nauth means thought, and Lathron means listener. So a Nauthron is a thought listening. Bit a stretch huh?? Okay, so not really.   
  
Sorry about the long wait (again). This chappie and the next one were finished but I to rewrite most of both of them to get me to like them.   
  
Okay, I hope that by now all my reader have seen the new HP PoA trailer. And its weird to say, but I liked the singing. Don't ask me why, because I have no idea. And I had to add the line in there, so "Something wicked this way comes," is not of my own invention.   
  
I am a bit uneasy about what Alfonso has done to the movie though. New ties? New robes? Sadly the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw them was "The Weasleys will all have had to go and buy new ties and robes and they can't afford to do that!" Then I shook my head and found something more practical to complain about. Like Hermione's cute rainbow belt, well I think its a rainbow. Regardless, I'm not sure if that was in style in 1993. I think my problem with it is that she looks more like Emma Watson than Hermione Granger   
  
I hope you all enjoyed the massively long chapter, I enjoyed writing it and rewriting it. Its tough writing one Quidditch scene, and I think this was my third. And its also challenging because there are few scenes in all fan fiction from a Chaser's POV, and since Reagan is a Chaser... well you know, thats the POV I needed to use. And I love Gryffindor too much to have them loose to Ravenclaw.   
  
Trevor and Reagan... hummmmmmmm. Don't get too excited, though, there is still an entire story left till the decide if they are going to stop being "just friends."   
  
I am warning you now. Something bad is going to happen. Something so horrible that I shocked myself when I decided to do this. My husband is shocked that I would even dream of doing this. I hope I am not giving it away by saying that there have been a few hints throughout the fic about what is going to happen. If anyone has any guesses, EMAIL ME and I will let you know if you're right or wrong. Please don't put it in a review, in case someone else doesn't have a clue. Again, you have been warned.   
  
The end is near, folks! We're looking at five more chapters and an Epilogue. And then... well, then we're done, till I decide to post the sequel, the last fic of them all, the fic to end all fics, and it shall be called... The Return of the Reagan Potter... or maybe not, I think I'm just a little excited about 'Return of the King.' Ahh, Legolas. Thank goodness 'Pirates of the Caribbean' comes out first.   
  
Okay, so I have a thing for Orlando Bloom. So what?   
  
Read and Review please!!!   
  
~Erica Evans  
_


	18. Chapter 18: A Scream During Breakfast

**Chapter Eighteen: A Scream During Breakfast**   
  
_ Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own anything. Well what I made up I do, but the Harry Potter stuff belong to JK Rowling. You can tell the difference from her stuff and mine.   
  
A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. Please see the bottom.   
  
_ "So you okayed this with Professor McGonagall?" Reagan asked the next morning, as they left the entrance hall. Trevor glanced sideways at her. "Well, she knows we're going to be going outside today. She doesn't know about the Sammy and Moussey part."   
  
Reagan smiled. "And my mum does?"   
  
"Well, when I first talked to McGonagall about it, she said I would need permission from your mum, so I wrote her a letter, and asked her for permission, but I left the Sammy and Moussey part out too. Lupin and your brothers know though."   
  
"Oh well. I still think this exciting without Mum and McGonagall knowing," Reagan replied. "What are we doing anyway?"   
  
"You'll see," Trevor replied. "Do you have your invisibility cloak?" Reagan nodded and pated her bag, having received Trevor's early morning owl with a few more instructions.   
  
"Good."   
  
"Josie almost killed me though," Reagan said. "First I wouldn't show her or tell her about your note yesterday, and then I get an owl at five in the morning and disappear before lunch. I think she's going to spend the rest of the day finding the best hex for me. And Cal as usual doesn't care or know whats going on. He's so completely in love with Josie that he's completely blind of everything else that goes on around him."   
  
Trevor shrugged. "It happens. At least you won't have to worry about him being mad at you."   
  
"True," Reagan replied. "Where are we going?"   
  
"To the Quidditch pitch," Trevor replied.   
  
"The Quidditch pitch," Reagan repeated. "Thats your big secret?"   
  
"Well, no," he said. "But thats were I told McGonagall were we would be. Thats why we needed your invisibility cloak."   
  
"What are we going to sneak off somewhere?" Reagan asked, somewhat sarcastically.   
  
"Well..."   
  
"Trevor!" Reagan exclaimed. "Where are we going?"   
  
"The Forbidden Forest."   
  
"Seriously," Reagan replied. "Where are we really going?"   
  
"The Forbidden Forest," Trevor repeated. "Its really the only place Sammy and Moussey could run without getting to trouble. Besides, we're going to be animals. What would hurt us if we're animals?"   
  
"Werewolves," Reagan replied.   
  
"There are no werewolves in the forest at all, especially in broad daylight," Trevor replied. "Honestly, Reagan, are you that afraid to go into the forest?"   
  
"No," Reagan replied. "I'm just a bit worried about what would happen if something happened to us in there."   
  
"Professor Lupin knows we're going in there," Trevor replied. "He can come and find us. Or James can, if it is a matter of human safety."   
  
"All right," Reagan said. "I guess its all right."   
  
"Well its defiantly not all right," Trevor said. "I mean, we are breaking a major school rule."   
  
"And Professor Lupin was okay with this?" Reagan asked. "I know he is sometimes willing to bend the rules, but this is basically shattering one."   
  
"He was hesitant," Trevor admitted. "But I persuaded him that is we were in trouble, all he had to say was that he was going to accompany us into the forest because we wanted to learn more about the possum berries we had been studying and we didn't wait for him."   
  
"Thats a bit of a stretch," Reagan replied. "I don't even know what a possum berry is."   
  
"Its a berry that is not really a berry. Its a fairy, and the hardest fairy to transfigure."   
  
"Oh, so sort of an extra credit study."   
  
"Basically."   
  
They walked in silence for the next few moments, until the reached the edge of the Quidditch pitch. Trevor pulled two school brooms out from behind one the the stands and handed one to her.   
  
"Here, take this," he said and she took it, wondering what was going on. "We're going to fly up there when I say so, and fly around a bit, then come back down." Trevor pulled his wand out and said, _"Appearum miragius!"_   
  
"Huh?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Sshh!" Trevor said and mounted the broom he was holding. He fly up to the middle of the pitch, and she followed, still a bit confused."   
  
"Trevor what is going on?" she asked.   
  
"I'll explain in a moment," he replied and cried, _"Begium!"_   
  
Reagan stared at him in bewilderment.   
  
"Fly around with me, pretend like we're been doing this for a couple hours."   
  
She followed him around the pitch, and even tried a few Feints, but the school broom was not her Nimbus 4000. After a good fifteen minutes of flying around Trevor pulled out his wand and shouted, _"Enoughsium!"_ Reagan followed him back down to the grass, still confused.   
  
"Its called a Mirage Charm," he explained. "Anyone who comes out here will see us flying around up there. See?" He pointed to where they had just been, and sure enough an image of them was flying around. "If McGonagall comes out here then she'll just see us flying around, just like I told her we were going to be."   
  
"A Mirage Charm?" Reagan asked. "Is that something you learn in a higher Charm level?"   
  
"Not exactly," Trevor replied, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "See in the Slytherin common room, there is a huge bookshelf filled with books. Its one of those Slytherin secrets to success."   
  
"Slytherin has a bookcase with books full of spells?"   
  
"And potions and enchantments and all other kinds of stuff," Trevor continued. "Its mostly for students who want to get something, you know the ambition of a Slytherin, they'll do anything to get what they want."   
  
"Even extra reading?" Reagan asked. "Sounds a bit Ravenclaw-ish to me."   
  
"I little," he replied. "But you'd be surprised at the sort of stuff in there. Some of it is interesting and useful, like this one. But some of the other stuff... lets just say, I'm glad that you have to get permission from a Prefect to read one."   
  
"So you gave yourself permission."   
  
"Yup," he grinned. "Doesn't Gryffindor have some sort of secret like that?"   
  
"Probably," Reagan replied. "I just don't know it."   
  
"Fair enough," he said. "Come on, we'd better get going. Pull out your cloak."   
  
"This isn't going to fit over both of us," she said, pulling it out of her bag.   
  
"Just throw it over our heads and I'll explain."   
  
"Okay," Reagan replied and threw it over their heads. Their bodies disappeared, well except for their feet and ankles. With Trevor's height and Reagan standing next to him, it pulled the cloak up a couple inches.   
  
"Now what?" she asked.   
  
"You have no patience," he replied. "Now we're going to transform. On the count of three. The cloak will still be covering us, so no one can see us change, and then we can walk together, as animals to the woods, underneath the cloak the entire time. No one will see us."   
  
"You're mad," she stated.   
  
"For some things," he replied. He looked at her, and smiled, and she felt her knees begin to weaken. "Are you ready for some fun?"   
  
"Defiantly," she replied. "I'm just not convinced that this is going to work."   
  
His eyes twinkled and he moved a step closer to her, which eliminated any space between them. "I'll make a believer out of you yet, Reagan Potter," he said and kissed her softly on the lips. Reagan closed her eyes at the sensation, remembering how it felt to kiss him, and wondered why they didn't do this more often.   
  
"Happy birthday, Reagan," he said as he broke apart.   
  
"Thats what all this is about?" she asked. "My birthday isn't for another few days."   
  
"It was the best time to do it," he admitted. "Besides, this isn't even your birthday present. This is your birthday outing."   
  
"Most people go to Hogsmeade," she said.   
  
"Most people can't change into an animal at will," he replied. "Besides, we're not even there yet. We still have to change and walk slowly into the woods. And we'll go to Hogsmeade next weekend."   
  
"When do I get my birthday present?" she asked.   
  
"Patience, Reagan," he replied. "On your birthday, of course!"   
  
"Oh, how silly of me," she said. "On my birthday, when most people do their birthday stuff, not four days before."   
  
"Are you ready to go yet?" he asked.   
  
"I was ready before we flew around."   
  
"Well then," he said, kissing her forehead. "On three! One... two... three!"   
  
And Reagan concentrated on her Animagus self, and immediately felt the grass beneath all four of her feet.   
  
She blinked her eyes a few times and saw a big brown chocolate lab sitting in front of her, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.   
  
~Ready?~ he asked.   
  
~We're walking slowly to the edge of the forest and then loosing the cloak?~ she asked to clarify.   
  
~Correct,~ he replied. ~We'll hide it if you'd like.~   
  
~Yes, I would like that.~   
  
~Then shall we?~   
  
The walked slowly to the edge of the forest and shed the cloak, tucking it under an unearthed tree root.   
  
~How fast do you think you can run?~ Trevor asked.   
  
~I don't know,~ Reagan replied. ~I've never thought about it.~   
  
~Do you think you can catch me?~   
  
~Probably,~ Reagan replied and leapt after Trevor as he turned and ran into the woods. She chased after him, running through the woods with ease, her white fur blowing back from her face. They ran deeper and deeper into the forest, the sunlight growing scarce and the trees getting denser.   
  
Panting they stopped sometime later, and drank water from a stream running through the forest.   
  
~Is this water safe to drink?~ Reagan asked.   
  
~Should be,~ Trevor replied. ~There isn't anything in the forest that would make it unsafe.~   
  
~Trevor, are you sure?~ Reagan asked. ~I've heard so many stories about things in the forest that-~   
  
~Exactly, they were stories Reagan,~ Trevor said. ~I asked Professor Lupin and he said that during the day nothing can hurt us, because we can see where we're going better than we can at night. And the water is safe, he drinks it when he's a werewolf.~   
  
~I feel bad because I haven't had a chance to go with him on a full moon,~ Reagan said. ~I told him I would once I mastered my transformation. James still comes up each month to go with him.~   
  
~I'm sure its fine,~ Trevor replied.   
  
~Most times I'm too tired with Quidditch practice and school work,~ Reagan said. ~I don't know how my father or James did it when they were in school.~   
  
~They didn't have a magical connection that effected them,~ Trevor said. ~Do you think maybe that could have something to do with it?~   
  
~It could,~ Reagan replied. ~Its also all these creepy things that keep happening and these dreams I keep having. I think worrying and wondering about them is beginning to wear on me.~   
  
~That makes sense,~ Trevor said. ~I'm sure your uncle understands.~   
  
~I hope so,~ she replied. ~This was fun, Trevor. Thank you.~   
  
Trevor stood up and barked at her. ~Our afternoon isn't over yet.~   
  
~Oh?~ she said and stood up. He shook his head and took off again yelling ~You can't catch me!~ Reagan smiled to herself before taking off after him.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Weeks passed by and Reagan found herself sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Josie and Cal gazing dreamily out the window, wishing that Quidditch wasn't over. After the Cup there was no need to practice, and it was a bit weird being back in the common room in the evenings.   
  
"Reagan what did you get for number three on the Potions worksheet?" Josie asked, biting her lip in frustration.   
  
"What is the question?" Reagan asked.   
  
"_Sea salt, cedar powder, armadillo bile and daisy roots are all mixed to form the preliminary part of what potion and for how long does this need to simmer before adding the remaining ingredients?_" Josie read from the parchment. "I put that it is the first part of a Restorative Draft, and that it needs to simmer for three days during the new moon."   
  
"Sounds right to me," Reagan said.   
  
"Well, is that what you put?" Josie asked.   
  
"I haven't done it yet," Reagan replied. Cal looked up at her and Josie dropped her quill.   
  
"You haven't what?!" Josie exclaimed. "Reagan its due tomorrow!"   
  
"I know," Reagan said lazily. "I just haven't gotten around to it yet."   
  
"Are you feeling okay?" Cal asked.   
  
"Of course I am," Reagan replied and glanced out the window again. "Some time."   
  
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Josie asked. "You seem a bit, off."   
  
Reagan smiled. "I'm fine honestly. I've just been preoccupied."   
  
"With what?" Josie asked.   
  
"Nothing," Reagan replied and opened her bag. She pulled her worksheet out and found a quill."   
  
"So there isn't anything on your mind?" Josie asked.   
  
"No one is one my mind, thank you very much," Reagan said. "And I'd appreciate it if we dropped this conversation."   
  
"I never asked if you thinking about someone," Josie said to her smiling.   
  
"And I never said I was," Reagan replied, dipping her quill into her ink.   
  
"If you say so," Josie replied and coughed loudly, making a noise that sounded like "Trevor!"   
  
"Are you all right?" Cal asked patting Josie's back, smirking at her.   
  
"I'm fine, honest, something seems to be stuck in my throat," Josie replied. "I'm better now, thank you Cal."   
  
"You'd better be careful," Cal said. "I've heard that bullshit is a bit contagious."   
  
"Will you two stop?" Reagan asked.   
  
"What?" Josie asked innocently. "We weren't doing anything."   
  
"Whats wrong with talking about a contagious virus?" Cal asked.   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and bent over her parchment. But she couldn't concentrate. It wasn't necessarily Trevor that she was thinking about, bit it was a nagging feeling like something was wrong, like she ahd forgotten to feed Vira or Eclipse, or that her answers were wrong. But everything she checked and rechecked was fine.   
  
Her father had come home a couple days before, safe and sound just as Professor Lockhart has assured her he would. She and Darenn were quite relieved to finally see a letter in his handwriting saying he was home. It was not the homecoming Reagan had wanted for her father's return, but he was home and that was all she cared about.   
  
Reagan sighed and filled in the answers to her Potions worksheet with ease. Two answers she had to look up to double check that she was correct, and she was. Fifteen minutes passes of actual work and Reagan jumped when an owl tapped on the window.   
  
"Oooh, maybe its from a Slytherin who shall remain nameless!" Josie giggled.   
  
"Oh hush," Reagan replied and opened the window. "Its not from Trevor, this isn't his owl." She took the letter from the owl and it flew off, as though it knew not to wait for a response.   
  
"Then who is it from?" Josie asked.   
  
"Anna McCormick," Reagan replied, tearing open the envelope.   
  
"Anna McCormick?" Josie asked, becoming serious. "Why is _she_ writing to you?"   
  
"She's a friend of my father," Reagan replied. "I wrote her last Christmas, after you wrote me that letter about your dream."   
  
"You told her?!" Josie exclaimed.   
  
"McCormick?" Cal asked. "Our old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"   
  
"His wife," Josie told him.   
  
"I trust her," Reagan said. "Hush let me read it."   
  
_ Reagan,  
  
You must have known the shock I had when I received your letter. But it was nice to hear from you. I must let you know, that I do know about your Connection with your father. Your Aunt Hermione came to me a couple months ago needing my help and she told me about it.   
  
As for your dream, I suspect that it was a bit of a preview of what was to happen. Sometimes dreams tell us what is to come, or they give us a very weird idea of what is to come. Now you and Miss Malfoy both a a dream about Quidditch in which Miss Malfoy fell to the ground. From what I hear of your Quidditch Cup match, this is what happened. She did not die as she did in the dream, but she did fall straight to the earth.   
  
So don't fret about it, Reagan. Miss Malfoy was not harmed in reality and your dream was just showing you what could happen, not what was going to happen. And since its already passed in reality, there is no longer any need to worry about it.   
  
Good job winning the Quidditch Cup though, I heard it was spectacular. I am probably a bit more biased than most former Gryffindors, being a true Gryffindor and all, but I am a Gryffindor fan all the same. My daughter might give you a run for your money, but thats not for another couple years. I think it would be very poetic if she replaced you after you left Hogwarts. I replaced your father as Seeker when he left, and it would only be appropriate for my daughter took your spot as a Chaser.   
  
Enjoy the rest of your term. Write me again if you have any other questions, or just write me for the heck of it.   
  
~Anna  
  
_ "I was wondering when she was going to write me back," Reagan said, folding up the letter. "I wrote her ages ago."   
  
"I still can't believe that you told her," Josie said.   
  
"I wanted a second opinion," Reagan shrugged. "She basically just said what I had figured anyway, so what does it matter?"   
  
"I guess it doesn't," Josie said. "At least she said that is was nothing, and it was over with."   
  
"Its nice to know, though," Reagan said, sitting back down. "I mean, I was wondering if she ever got my letter in the first place."   
  
"Wonder why it took her so long to write you back," Cal said. "If you wrote her at Christmas, that was five months ago."   
  
"I guess it doesn't matter," Reagan said. "Besides, if she had told us prior to the match that Josie was indeed going to fly straight into the ground, Josie would have done everything to prevent it, thinking she was going to die, and then she wouldn't have caught the Snitch. There was no way for us to know what the dream meant until it actually happened."   
  
"Good point," Josie said, looking at her parchment. "What did you get for number four?"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
The next morning they went down to breakfast as usual. Josie was uncharacteristically easy to get out of bed, and was more awake than normal on their trip to the Great Hall. She pored Reagan and Cal juice as they watched her in bewilderment. Cal shook his head and pulled a book out his bag, and Reagan took the plate of toast as it was passed along the table.   
  
"Is today Wednesday?" Josie said, sounding worried.   
  
"Yes," Cal replied.   
  
"Thats what usually comes after Tuesday," Reagan replied.   
  
"I've got the wrong books then," Josie said, looking in her bag. "I thought it was Thursday, I don't know why. I must mixed up the days."   
  
"You have time," Reagan said. "Eat and then grab your books on the way to class."   
  
"No, I think I'll go grab them now," Josie replied. "The halls will be packed later. Be right back." She grabbed her bag, and hurried out of the Great Hall, almost knocking over a group of first year Ravenclaws.   
  
"If her head wasn't attached, I think she'd loose it," Cal said and turned back to his book.   
  
"I'm not sure if having it attached has prevented that at all," Reagan replied, putting jam onto her toast.   
  
"Good morning," Trevor said, sitting down beside Reagan.   
  
"Hi Trevor," Reagan replied.   
  
"Hi," Cal said from inside his book.   
  
"Where did Josie run off to?" Trevor asked.   
  
"She had the wrong books," Reagan replied. "She thought it was Thursday."   
  
"She has time," Trevor said, looking at his watch. "What class do you have first?"   
  
"Transfiguration," Cal replied, and offered him the plate of toast.   
  
"He doesn't eat breakfast," Reagan said to Cal.   
  
"I just come for the scenery," Trevor said, looking at Reagan. She grinned at him and took a bit of her toast. Since their time in the Forbidden Forest, she and Trevor had been a bit friendlier, and more flirtier.   
  
"Enough," Cal said. "Can eat my breakfast without wanting to throw up?"   
  
"What?" Reagan asked. "Its not like I don't have to deal with it from you and Josie either."   
  
"Josie and I are-"   
  
"Just friends," Reagan finished. "Just like Trevor and I are."   
  
"Just good friends," Trevor said.   
  
"Well go be friends somewhere not around my breakfast," Cal said.   
  
"Oh read your book!" Reagan said and tossed a strawberry at him, hitting the cover of his book. "Besides, Josie needs to be careful of the stairs."   
  
"What?" Trevor and Cal asked at the same time.   
  
"She needs to be..." But Reagan didn't finish her sentence. She suddenly felt sick, and her stomach lurched. She turned to run to the bathroom, but doubled over, falling on the floor in pain.   
  
"Reagan whats wrong?" Trevor asked, bending down at her side.   
  
Her stomach lurched again, and she felt cold sweeping over her body, and she fought to stay conscious.   
  
"Josie," she whispered.   
  
And through out the Great Hall echoed a blood curdling scream.   
  
  
_ AN: Wah-ah-ah-ah-ahh (evil Dracula laugh)   
  
This is my late Christmas gift to you all, you get two chapters at once. At least you don't have to wait another four weeks for the next chapter, so my cliff didn't hurt that much.   
  
Now I must assure you that Reagan and Trevor's time in the woods was completely PG. As I was writing that scene it did occur to me what boy dogs and girl dogs do when left alone, especially in the spring time, but there was none of that. There will be no Trevor and Reagan puppies in the fall.   
  
The story of Anna McCormick, or rather Anna Summers as she was before she married, is chronicled in "The Heirs" and it can be found on my author page. Its still in the beginning, and being written a bit slower because this fic and the next are my babies but sometimes Anna gets into my head and I have to write on her.   
  
Okay, so because I am a bit odd, I have a small collection of songs that would go on the "As Seen in a Dream" Soundtrack, if ever there was one. The list is: Kelly Clarkson "Missed the Train;" Hanson "I'll Be With You In Your Dreams;" Britney Spears "Only Your Shadow;" and Martina McBride "Concrete Angel."   
  
This time I am not going to promise a time or quickness to my updates, because every time I do, it turns out longer than expected. I have few excuses for this past delay, the major one is my hubby leaving for ten months, on his way to Japan and then Iraq, to do his Marine thing. I anticipate being able to write my heart out, but I'm not making promises or predictions for a time length at all.   
  
Okay, go onto the next chapter now, and I hope you enjoy!   
  
  
  
_


	19. Chapter 19: Begining of the Pain

**Chapter Nineteen: Begining of the Pain**   
_ Disclaimer: Uh, I do no own Harry Potter, but I do own the horrid thing I have just done. :(   
  
Author Note: Sorry. Oh, and you might need some tissues. I did.   
  
_ Harry sat at his desk, rubbing his forehead. He didn't feel to great, but he had to come into work today. He glanced at the clock on his desk.   
  
"Too early to be at the office is right," Harry muttered, reading the clock. Another glance at his wristwatch told him it was 8:45 am. He sat back in his chair and looked at the pile of papers that sat on his desk. Sighing, he took the first folder off the top and began to flip through it.   
  
James' Animagents had been a huge success, and Harry had offered to help sort through the applicants. He took a sip of his tea, which Hermione had laced with some headache reducing serum, one that she had invented herself. Harry had been a bit cautious at first, but since Ron was married to her, and he wasn't dead yet, then Hermione's inventions must be safe.   
  
"Harry Potter!" Remus's voice called through the fire. Harry jumped and the applicant's file fell to the floor.   
  
"Yes, Remus," Harry said, coming into view of the fire. "What can I do for you? Do you realize you scared the daylights out of me?"   
  
"Sorry, Harry," Remus replied, his voice faltering slightly. Harry noticed the subtle change and realized that Remus should be teaching a class at the moment.   
  
"Remus, whats wrong?" Harry asked.   
  
"There's been an, er...accident....at the school this morning," he replied.   
  
"An accident? What do you mean?" Harry asked. Remus's face turned towards someone in the room and Harry heard someone crying.   
  
"A student fell down the stairs," Remus replied. "I need a medical team, or morgue unit and some sort of authority. Also, there is some, um, clean up needed."   
  
"A morgue unit?" Harry repeated. "You said a student fell down the stairs."   
  
"She died."   
  
"All right, we're coming," Harry said. "Who was it?"   
  
"Beg your pardon?"   
  
"You said a student fell, so who was it?" Harry asked again.   
  
Remus didn't answer right away. And when he did, Harry realized why he hadn't been feeling well.   
  
"It was Josian Malfoy."   
~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Josie," Reagan gasped tears falling from her eyes. Trevor wrapped his arms around her, and Reagan wept uncontrollably into his sweater. The past half hour was a blur, and Trevor blinked his eyes to keep from crying.   
  
Reagan had fallen to the ground, he bent beside and then a scream... someone screamed from somewhere within the castle. A book fell, someone dropped their glass and it shattered on the stone floor. Reagan looked up at him, her face white and whispered, "Help me."   
  
She struggled to stand and then she ran. She was the first to move in the Great Hall, the first out of the doors, the first to the bottom of the stairs and Trevor was right behind her.   
  
And then she screamed too, and moments later when he got to her, Trevor understood why.   
  
A body of a young girl was at the base of one the main staircase, twisted in an unearthly way, blood smeared across her face, a deep gash on the side of her head soaking her light blond hair with blood, a look of horror in her eyes. She didn't move, no breath, no blinking, nothing.   
  
Trevor squeezed his eyes shut to get the image out of his head, just as he had when he first saw her. He didn't want this to be real. Blood was all over the place, all along the stairs, and many of the portraits looked on in horror.   
  
"She fell," one of the said to him and pointed to the top of the stairs.   
  
Trevor pulled Reagan away, just as the rest of the school was coming out behind them. Professor Lupin got to them first, swore and put his cloak over the body.   
  
Reagan turned and sobbed into his shoulder, violent great sobs that only come when something absolutely horrible has happened. She was shaking and couldn't walk. As they got to the other side of the hall, near the entrance doors, Reagan sank to the floor, pulling Trevor down with her.   
  
"Josie," she sobbed. "No, no no no..."   
  
"Reagan," Trevor said, holding her, smoothing her hair. Two Prefects were keeping the other students away from the base of the stairs, where she lay, not moving, no longer moving.   
  
"Can you bring her to my office?" Professor Lupin was asking Trevor, and the words seemed to echo in his head. Trevor nodded.   
  
"I''ve got to call her father," Professor Lupin said, though Trevor didn't know who's father he meant.   
  
"Reagan, stand up," Trevor said to her.   
  
"No, no no no," Reagan sobbed, her chest raising and falling uncontrollably. "I can't, she can't be, no, no, no..." She tightened her grip on his robes as he made to stand, and sobbed, "Don't leave me Trevor, please, please, please..."   
  
"I'm not going anywhere," she said to her, and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to carry you." He scooped her into his arms, and she held onto his neck, crying harder and harder. He held her head down, so she couldn't see the black cloak over a bloody body, and carried her to the Deputy Headmaster's office.   
  
"Reagan, honey," Professor Lupin said as they came into the office. Trevor set her in one of the arm chairs and pushed the hair back from her face. Professor Lupin bent down and hugged his niece and Trevor could see tears in his Professor's eyes.   
  
And thats where Trevor was now inside Professor Lupin's office, a bit stunned. Professor Lupin had gone off to heard students away from the stairs, sending them all back to their common rooms. Headmistress McGonagall canceled classes for the day. Trevor sat with Reagan, rubbing his hand across her back. She was still crying, but her tears were more silent, and more controlled.   
  
"I can't believe this," Reagan whispered.   
  
"I know," Trevor soothed. "I'm so sorry."   
  
"I should have known," she whispered.   
  
"What do you mean?" Trevor asked. "There was no way you could have known." Reagan looked up at him.   
  
"The staircases move," Reagan whispered. "If she wasn't careful, then she would fall down them." With another sob, she fell back into his shoulder. Her sobs rang loud enough in her ears that she didn't hear Trevor softly whisper, "I'm here, I'll never let anything happen to you."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Reagan?!"   
  
Trevor turned towards the door as Darenn came running in. Followed closely by Cal, Darenn ran to Reagan and pulled her into their arms. Her sobs turned more violent again and Darenn rocked and soothed his younger sister.   
  
"Thanks," Darenn said, looking at Trevor.   
  
"Not a problem," Trevor replied.   
  
Reagan's father, Harry, came a few minutes later and gave his daughter a hug. Trevor watched as her Aunt Hermione came in also, and gave her niece a hug. Trevor winced as Minister of Magic hugged him as well, thanking him for staying with her and comforting her.   
  
Trevor stayed in Professor Lupin's office with Reagan for the remainder of the day. Cal left to get lunch and followed soon with a house elf at his heels. Reagan, Trevor, Cal and Darenn ate a quite lunch in their professor's office, none saying much of anything. They were not missing classes, as Professor McGonagall canceled classed for the remainder of the week as well.   
  
Reagan's brother, James, arrived sometime mid day and held his sister. He whispered something to her and left immediately afterwards. Reagan's mother, Ginny came as well. She offered to take Reagan home but Reagan refused. Harry came back in again and pulled Cal aside to question him on what had happened. Cal retold from when they got up that morning to Josie leaving the table to hearing the horrible scream and Reagan taking off, and then seeing Trevor pulling her away from the base of the stairs, and seeing Josie's body at the base of the stairs, and then finally being allowed into Professor Lupin's office to see Reagan. After Cal finished, Reagan had to be pried off of Trevor so he could tell what he knew.   
  
Harry listened attentively as Trevor told the short tale.   
  
"You know, I didn't like you much when I first met you," Harry said. "But throughout the year I've seen the kind of person you really are. And Reagan was right, you're not like the other Slytherins. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to my daughter." He paused and looked at Trevor. "She will need you the most now. Loosing someone close to you is an incredibly hard thing to bare, and he will need a stable shoulder to cry on. Someone she trusts and loves." With that he stood and shook Trevor's hand. Trevor blinked a few times, taking in what Reagan's father had said to him and nodded. _Someone she trusts and loves,_ he thought. _I know that I... Did she... But now wasn't the time for that._   
  
"Was my dad nice to you?" Reagan asked as he sat down beside her again.   
  
"Yes, he was actually," Trevor replied.   
  
"Good," she said. "I was afraid he wasn't going to be. He doesn't like Slytherins much."   
  
"He..." Trevor paused, running what her father had said to him over in his head. "He thanked me for being your friend. I don't think he minds that I'm a Slytherin anymore."   
  
"Good," Reagan replied and laid her head on his shoulder. "At least something good came of this."   
~~~~~~~~~~~   
"How are you holding up?" Harry asked Remus. His old professor shrugged and leaned up against the wall outside his office.   
  
"I'm here, but I need sleep," Remus said. "I've still got two days to go and its starting to wear on me."   
  
"Take Reagan with you this time," Harry said. "It could take her mind off things."   
  
"Or it could not," Remus replied. "Everything is going to bug her now, everything is going to hurt."   
  
"I know it will."   
  
"Sleeping in her bed in her dormitory is going to hurt," Remus said. "Sitting through her exams, the train ride home, everything is going to remind her and everything is going to hurt."   
  
"You don't think I've thought of that?" Harry said. "It hurts me to see her in pain like this."   
  
"Trevor's taking care of her," Remus said.   
  
"I know he is," Harry replied.   
  
"He's a good kid."   
  
"I know he is," Harry repeated. "Its just a bit hard to see my daughter depend on another man now."   
  
"Trevor is hardly a man, first of all," Remus said. "He's sixteen, Harry, were you a man at sixteen?"   
  
"Not hardly," he replied. "I was a teenage boy with a mad evil wizard after my blood."   
  
"Exactly, you were a teenage boy. You were also strong, and Trevor is too. So is Reagan. She'll get through this," Remus said. "Besides, its not like they're getting married tomorrow or anything."   
  
"I know," Harry said. "If you say I can trust him then I do, whole heatedly."   
  
"Good, because he's going to be the only one that can get into her head now," Remus replied.   
  
"Is this the point where I stop being a friend and turn into the father?"   
  
"You always were and always will be both the friend and the father," Remus replied. "But this is where she'll see you more as a father than a friend. It only lasts a couple years, look at you and James. You and Darenn are getting closer again as well."   
  
"Its different with girls," Harry said.   
  
"Reagan's smart, she'll be okay. Trevor's smart as well. Let them be friends, thats all they are anyway."   
  
"They're just friends?" Harry asked.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"I told Trevor that Reagan loved him."   
  
"You what?!"   
  
"Well, not in so many words, but that was the gist of what I said to him," Harry said, and ran his hair through his hair.   
  
"Why would you think she loved him?" Remus asked.   
  
Harry looked at his uncle. "I happen to have a magical connection with my daughter, and I can feel her love for him, and vise versa."   
  
"Really?" Remus asked. "Well, they haven't crossed that bridge yet. So far they are just friends."   
  
"She's fifteen, she can have friends that are boys. She can have boyfriends. I got my first kiss when I was fifteen."   
  
"Are you giving her permission to date?" Remus asked.   
  
"No, but I can't deny it if it happens," Harry said.   
  
"She won't for a while thought," Remus noted. "Not after this."   
  
"True," Harry agreed. "But at least she can be friends with Trevor. Thats close enough."   
  
"Whats close enough?" Ginny asked, walling up behind him.   
  
"Trevor is close enough to a boyfriend," Harry said. "But after this, that might be all that she has."   
  
"For a while," Ginny replied. "But not forever. She'll get through this, she'll grow and be stronger because of it. Look at you, see where all your hardships got you?"   
  
"Ginny I spoil my children with everything I never had and I still don't let people in easily," Harry said. "How is that any good?"   
  
"It made you a better person that appreciates all the people in his live that love him," Ginny replied. "You shower your children with not only gifts but love as well, because you want them to have what you didn't have as a child but should have."   
  
"Fair enough," Harry replied.   
  
"We should all have dinner in Hogsmeade tonight," Ginny said. "Reagan won't have to eat in the Great Hall."   
  
"She'll have to face familiar things eventually, Gin," Harry said.   
  
"But not necessarily right away," she replied. "Trevor can come also, and Cal if he wants."   
  
"I'll mention it to her, but I don't know if she'll want to," Harry said. "They're eating right now."   
  
"Dobby brought them lunch," Remus said.   
  
"Dobby? He's still alive?" Ginny asked.   
  
"House elves live for quite awhile," Remus replied.   
  
"I bet that just made his day, waiting on my son and daughter," Harry said.  
  
"A bit full of ourselves are we?" Ginny asked her husband.   
  
"Oh come on, Gin, you know how he was with me."   
  
"You did him a great favor by freeing him-"   
  
"And he worshiped me because of it!   
  
"Many people worshiped you, Harry Potter, not for the things you did, but for the person you are," Ginny replied.   
  
"Nice Dumbledore-sim, Ginny," Harry said. "I'll go try some of your wisdom on our grief stricken daughter and see if she wants to have diner tonight."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Trevor watched Harry Potter come back into the room as he ran his hand across Reagan's back. Reagan had finished her sandwiches and was curled up in a chair, her eyes closed. Trevor watched in amazement with how much Reagan and her father resembled each other, and not just in their face. They walked the same and stood the same and even used the same hand movements when they spoke. And they always seemed to know what the other was thinking. Whenever he was around them, he could sense the energy flowing between them, almost like feeling the love they shared as father and daughter.   
  
"How long has she been asleep?" Harry asked Trevor.   
  
"A few minutes," Trevor replied. "She needs it."   
  
"Yes she does," her father agreed. "Trevor, about what I said earlier, about-"   
  
"She loved Josie too Mr. Potter," Trevor said before Harry could finish his sentence.   
  
Harry looked at him and nodded. "Yes she did. Look, her mother wants to have diner in Hogsmeade this evening. She thinks it will be better for Reagan, so she won't have to eat in the Great Hall with all the other students."   
  
"She'll have to sooner or later," Trevor replied.   
  
"Thats what I said," Harry said. "But I told Ginny I'd ask anyway. Could you mention it to her when she wakes up?"   
  
"I will Mr. Potter," Trevor said.   
  
"Thank you, Trevor," Harry said and walked to the door. "Oh, and please call me Harry."   
  
  
_ A/N: Review please, I want to know what you all think. But please don't hate me. Do you think I wanted to do this? Did JK Rowling want to kill Sirius, or was it for the purpose of the story? See, everything will be okay, eventually.   
  
Both Harry and Reagan have now lost someone close to them when they were fifteen, but I can't put that in the fic because in my universe Sirius didn't die till Harry was nineteen or so.   
  
Lordes: I told you you were right about one out of your three predictions. I never said it wasn't Josie, I just said it might not be her. MIGHT, but is.   
_


	20. Chapter 20: She Sleeps

**Chapter Twenty: She Sleeps**   
  
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, so please don't press charges. You can have my junk mail. Thats all I have to give.   
A/N: Thank you all for enjoying thus far. Please see the bottom as usual for my much longer author's note. Enjoy! _   
Cal and Reagan were sitting alone at a table in the library, both hard at work studying for their Charms O.W.L. Cal was going over flash cards, matching charms to their incantations and he was watching Reagan out of the corner of his eye. She had been staring at the same parchment for over an hour, reading and rereading the same passage. Ever few minnutes she shook her head and started back at the top.   
  
Cal didn't say anything. He knew why she was like this. It had been going on for two weeks, exactly to the day. Reagan was a zombie, a comepltly lifeless emotional wreck, and he was trying to be the stronger one of the two of them.   
  
But he couldn;t stand it much more. He quietly cried himslef to sleep each night, hoping that he wouold wake up and it would all have been a horrible dream. Each morining when he heard the other boysin his dormitry start to get up he tried to convince himslef that nothing bad had happened.   
  
_ "Should we let him sleep longer?" _Hayden Thomas would ask.   
  
_ "I don't know." _It was ususaly Duncan who Hasyden was talling too, and sometimes Ethan would reply with,   
  
_ "A little longer." _  
  
They all knew he didn't sleep. They knew that he was upset. Cal would shut his eyes tighter, bloking out the morning glow of light creaping in through the cracks in his bed curtains. And then he would give up. He would face the facts and admit to himself that he was never going to see her agian.   
  
Josian Malfoy was dead.   
  
"Are you finished with this, Cal?" Bolton Stumps asked, and Cal looked at him and nodded He handed him the Charms textbook, and glanced back at Reagan. She was still staring at her parchment, and it didn't seem that she knew anyone else was in the same room.   
  
Cal sighed and looked back at his note cards.   
  
_ Wingardium Leviosa.... Levitation Charm   
  
Reducio... Shrinking Charm   
  
Accio...Summoning Charm   
  
_ Cal looked up suddenly and looked at Reagan. He watched her closer and realized that she was crying. She had turned the page in her notes, and the new parchment was soaked with tears. He leaned closer and saw that there were other scribbles around her notes. He moved next to her and put his arm around her. She didn't move towards him, but didn't move away either. He took the parchment from her and could see what had made her cry. Around the edges of the parchment, the blurred scribbles were actually notes Josie and Reagan had been writing to each other in class.   
  
_ Help me with this one, k? _Cal recognized Josie's handwriting even though it was blurred.   
  
_ It easy, but I'll help you. _Reagan wrote back.   
  
_ We have practice tonight.   
  
I know.   
  
When are you going to help me?   
  
We have time.   
  
The O.W.L.s are coming up.   
  
We have time!   
  
I just want to do good. I want to bring home better O.W.L. scores than my brothers. Maybe it will make my dad lighten up more.   
  
I doubt that would work.   
  
_ Cal could picture that day in Charm class, and how Josie had looked when she laughed. It had startled Professor Brocklehurst, and the chalk that had been writing on the blackboard wrote a large AAAHHH!!! on the board.   
  
_ Stop writting on my paper!   
  
If I write on mine, I won't know whats going on. You take better notes that I do.   
  
Pay attention and your notes would be fine.   
  
True. So will you help me with my O.W.Ls?   
  
Yes I'll help you. Of course. _   
  
"That was right before the Quidditch Cup, wasn't it?" Cal asked.   
  
"Yeah," Reagan whispered, siffling. "She wanted more than anything to make her dad happy."   
  
"And some people thought you two didn't have anything in common," Cal teased.   
  
"Some people didn't get it," Reagan replied. "But we clicked. We both had something to prove."   
  
"And me?" Cal asked.   
  
"Well you got knocked over by a girl on your first day," Reagan said. "You and I were just bound to be friends."   
  
"That train was very unstable," Cal said in his defense. "Besides, I could have not been friends with you... It would have been hard, but I could have at least tried."   
  
Reagan smiled. "You were hooked."   
  
Cal looked at her and a shadow of a smile passed across his face. "Yeah I was."   
  
Reagan looked at her hands and sighed.   
  
"I know how much it must hurt you, Cal," she said. "You... I know you thought differently of her than I did."   
  
Cal nodded. "Yeah I did. She was a friend to both of us but..."   
  
"To you she was something more," Reagan finished for him and he noddedd. "You'll find that again."   
  
"I hope so," he sid. "But nothing will come even close to her. Josie was... contagious."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Yes she was."   
  
"And evereyone liked her, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin alike. Everyone knew she was different from her family, from her last name."   
  
"Its kind of ironic," Reagan said. "In medi-evil times they used to kill the children who were different. Squibs got the most hatred, because they were the most obvious. But even if the child had a different color hair, or had great magical power at an early age, they would kill them. To them they were agents of a dark power who was posing as their child to trick them. So they killed them before they could prove they were worthy of their love."   
  
"How do you know that?" Cal asked.   
  
"I pay attention in History of Magic," Reagan replied. "Its ironic because Josie was different from the rest of her family, and she died before she prove to her father and to her family that she was a Malfoy, and they she was worthy of their love."   
  
"Its their loss they didn't know before."   
  
"And now they'll never know her," Reagan said and sighed. "I think I'm done for the night. I don't want to come across anymore doodles and loose it again." Cal nodded and helped her pack up the notes and books scattered across the table.   
  
"I miss her," Cal said as they were walking out of the library.   
  
"I do too," Reagan said. They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence, both contemplating the irony Reagan had just stubled across.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Trevor, thank you for walking me to my dormitry," Reagan said, taking her books from him.   
  
"Its okay," Trevor replied. "Do you have any studying to do?"   
  
"No," she said. "All I have left is Potions, and I know everything by heart."   
  
"Well, good luck tomorrow," he said and paused. "You should go get some sleep."   
  
"Sleep?" Reagan laughed. "I'll try."   
  
"Reagan you need sleep."   
  
"Yes Trevor, I know," Reagan replied and turning towards the portrait hole. "Its just not that easy. I'll see you tomorrow, Trevor."   
  
"Reagan, talk to me," Trevor said, pulling her back.   
  
"What do you want me to say?!" Reagan asked.   
  
"Something! Anything!" Trevor cried. "Reagan, it hurts me to see you like this. Let me help you."   
  
"Trevor, as soon as you can go back in time and change what has already happened, let me know," Reagan said. She was crying now, and she wiped away the tears running down her face. "The past can't be changed, and I have to deal with that. The things I see when I close my eyes also can't be changed, and I'm learning to deal with that too."   
  
"By not sleeping?"   
  
"Whatever helps me not see see her dead and bloody body every time I close my eyes!," Reagan said, tear still falling down her face. "Let me worry about myself. Be my friend, Trevor, and don't turn into a parent."   
  
"Being your friend entiles me to worry about you," Trevor said.   
  
"Then don't be my friend," Reagan replied. "Whatever it takes to get you off my back. I get enough of it from everyone else. I had hoped that you wouldn't be like them."   
  
"We're worried about you!"   
  
"Don't be," Reagan said. "I can take care of myself. I can handle this."   
  
"Not alone you can't."   
  
"I don't see anyone qualified enough to help me," Reagan said. "Good night Trevor." She left Trevor standing alone in the hall as she passed into the Gryffindor common room.   
  
Five minutes later, Trevor was pounding on the office door of Professor Lupin.   
  
"Yes?!" Professor Lupin cried, wretching the door open.   
  
"Professor, I need to speak with you," Trevor said.   
  
"I figured as much," Professor Lupin said, and held the door for Trevor to pass.   
  
"I can't stand this!" Trevor cried, walking into the room. "She can't just..." Trevor stopped when he realized who was in his professor's office.   
  
"Its nice to see you again, Trevor," Harry Potter said, and shook Trevor's hand.   
  
"I'm so sorry," Trevor appologized to Reagan's parents. "I didn't know you were here. I can come back tomorrow."   
  
"Its quite all right," Reagan's mother said. "You seem to be here for the same reason we are."   
  
"Harry and Ginny arrived a few moments ago," Professor Lupin explained to Trevor, and handed him a cup of tea.   
  
"You seem to be as concerned for our daughter as we are," Harry said.   
  
"I am worried about her," Trevor admitted.   
  
"She writes us," Ginny said. "More than she used to actually. But its nonsence really. Sometimes she writes the same thing three times in a row, or tells us something she had already told us."   
  
"Does she talk to you?" Harry asked.   
  
"No," Trevor replied. "Not like she used to at least. Tonight she told me to stop being her friend if I intend on worrying about her."   
  
"You know she doesn't mean it," Ginny said.   
  
Trevor nodded. "I know. Lately I've just been taking whatever she says in stride. Not much of it makes sense. Sometimes she'll start to ask something and stop and just stare."   
  
"She's been distant in class as well," Professor Lupin said. "She's normally one of the brightest students, and now she's handing in mediocure work, and not paying attention in class."   
  
"She'll come out of it," Harry said.   
  
"When?" Trevor asked. "Its been two weeks already."   
  
"You can't expect her to get over it this fast can you?" Harry asked him.   
  
"Of course not," he replied. "But she's falling apart. She's not eating. She's not sleeping. She doesn't respond in class. She doesn't want to go fly on her broom. She doesn't want to see anyone. Can't you give her something?"   
  
"And what would you have us give her?" Harry asked.   
  
"Something to help her sleep," Trevor replied. "That would be a start."   
  
"Trevor we can't," Ginny said. "She has to get through it on her own."   
  
"Do you know what she told me tonight?" Trevor asked. "She said that she sees Josie where ever she goes. And not a living Josie. She sees Josie's dead body the way it was that day. Everytime she closes her eyes. She's terrified to sleep, to blink, to stop and think about what she's doing by denying herself these things. She can't be expected to do this on her own."   
  
"We can't keep her drugged up for the rest of her life," Harry said.   
  
"I know!" Trevor cried. "But something to help her! She's in pain! She can't handle this alone!"   
  
"Trevor," Ginny said. "We know. We don't like seeing her like this either."   
  
"Could we arrange some sort of dreamless sedative, Remus?" Harry asked.   
  
"We could," Professor Lupin replied. "But she won't take it."   
  
"She won't let anyone help her," Trevor said. "But if she didn't know about it..."   
  
"Are you saying we trick her into taking it?" Harry asked.   
  
"Well," Trevor started. "I am a Slytherin. I wouldn't put it past me."   
  
"Is there a law against that, Remus?" Harry asked. "Giving someone a sedative without their knowedge?"   
  
"I doubt it," Professor Lupin said. "Besides, she's your daughter. How do you suggest we do this?"   
  
"There's plenty of time for her to sleep on the trip back to King Cross on Saturday," Harry said. "I don't know how excited she'll be about sleeping on a train agian."   
  
"We could slip it into her breakfast," Trevor said. "I could bring her tea or something."   
  
"Won't she be suspicious?" Harry asked.   
  
"If you let her be," Ginny said, looking at her husband.   
  
"You want me to convince her to not be suspicious?" Harry asked. "Through our Connection?"   
  
"Well, she won't know its you convinving her," Ginny said. "She'll just think its a good idea at the time."   
  
"It could work," Harry said.   
  
"I'll speak with Professor Abbott and have her mix one up," Professor Lupin said and checked his watch. "Trevor, I must insist that you get off to your common room, I dare say that you still have studying to do? Let me write you a note incase you come across a teacher in the corridor."   
  
"I just need to review my notes, really," Trevor said.   
  
"What O.W.L. do you have tomorrow, Trevor?" Harry asked.   
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," he replied. "It won't be that bad."   
  
"That one was my best O.W.L.s you know," Harry said. "Say, can you produce a corporal Patronus?"   
  
Trevor blinked a few times. "Actually, I can. Its an eagle."   
  
"Let the judge know you can produce one," Harry said. "You'll get extra points."   
  
"I will," Trevor said, taking his note from Professor Lupin. "Thank you."   
  
"You're helping my daughter in more ways than you know," Harry said. "Its not much for me to pass on O.W.L. secrets."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Two days later, Trevor was watching Reagan from a distance, watching and waiting for her to start to drift off to sleep. He had slipped a good dossage of a Dreamless Sleeping Draft into her tea that morning and was waiting for it to take effect.   
  
He helped her out of the carriage, ignoring her bantering about how he was fussing over her. They boarded the train, and he carried her trunk for her, walking along behind her as she searched for an empty compartment.   
  
"Is there a reason you are babysitting me, Trevor?" Reagan asked, sitting down. "Don't you have first years to look after?"   
  
"Not yet," he said, handing her Eclipse's basket. "Besides, I'm not babysitting you, Reagan."   
  
"Right," Reagan said.   
  
Trevor exchanged a glance with Cal, who was in on the plan to get Reagan to sleep.   
  
"Here, Reagan," Cal said, as Reagan sleepily tried to put the basket on the rack above her. She stumbled and Trevor caught her, moving her onto the seat next to the window.   
  
"Honeslty, Trevor," Reagan said, and sat up.   
  
"Are you all right?" Trevor asked. "You seem a bit tired."   
  
"I'm fine," she replied.   
  
"All right then," Trevor said and stood up. "Let me know if you need anything."   
  
"I will," she said and slumped against the window. "Oh, Trevor?"   
  
Trevor stopped and turned around. Reagan managed to stand and walk over to him. She leaned against him, and put her arms around him.   
  
"I'm sorry about what I said the other night," she whispered. "I need you as my friend."   
  
"Its all right, Reagan," he replied.   
  
"I just wanted you to know," she whispered and sighed. "I am so tired. But I can't sleep. I don't want to see it."   
  
"Just relax, Reagan," Trevor said and moved her back to the window.   
  
"Sit with me till I fall asleep," Reagan said.   
  
"I will," Trevor replied. She leaned up against him, striving to keep her eyes open. As they pulled out of Hogsmead station, the train began to move in its familiar motions, and Cal mouthed that her eyes were closed.   
  
"At last," Trevor said, leaning her up against the window. "She sleeps."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"Reagan," someone was saying and Reagan jumped. Her eyes flew open and she blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light.   
  
"Trevor," Reagan said, rubbing her eyes. "Has the witch with the treats come by yet? I feel like some pumpkin juice."   
  
Trevor laughed. "She came a long time ago. We're back in London already."   
  
"London!" Reagan exclaimed. "What happened?"   
  
"You fell asleep," Trevor explained.   
  
"I... I did?"   
  
"Its okay, Reagan," Trevor said. "All the students have already gotten off the train. Your parents are waiting for you."   
  
Reagan nodded and stood up slowly. Trevor held her arm, holding her like she was going to fall. "I'm okay, Trevor."   
  
"I just want to be sure," he replied. "Come on, your trunk and everything is already off the train."   
  
"How come you're waking me now?"   
  
"I wanted to let you sleep as long as possible," he replied.   
  
"Thank you," she said and stopped. She caught his hand and pulled him back to her. "Did I apologize to you yet?"   
  
"For what?"   
  
"For what I said the other night," she replied. "I didn't mean it."   
  
Trevor smiled and kissed her forehead. "I know you didn't."   
  
"I think I'm going to need you a lot this summer," Reagan said.   
  
"I'll be here," Trevor said. "When you're ready to talk."   
  
Reagan smiled. "Thank you."   
  
"You are very welcome," Trevor said. "Now come on, your father might start to get worried and send a whole troop of Aurors in after us."   
  
Reagan laughed and followed Trevor through the train, the crowded platform, the magical barrier and into the arms of her parents.   
  
  
_ Author Note: After some re-tweaking, this story lost a chapter. It will be in the opening chapter of this fic's sequel. So this is the final chapter of "Dreams" (tear). But there is still the epilogue, so look for that in the next week or so!! Review please!_  



	21. Epilogue: Summer Mail

**Epilogue: Summer Mail**   
  
_ Disclaimer: Don't own squat. Besides, if I wanted to make a profit, do you honestly think I'd post here?   
  
A/N: Please see the bottom.  
Reagan sat stiffly at the kitchen table, absent mindlessly string her cereal. She had been home a little over a month, and she was ready to get out of her house. She blinked into her cereal, remembering the end of year feast.   
  
__ "Our year has ended in tragedy," _Professor McGonagall had said. _"A student was taken from us before her time. Her memory will remain in our hearts, even if she is not with us in the flesh. She had amazing talent in the Quidditch field, and helped Gryffindor to their win of the Quidditch Cup. But her achievements were not found solely on a broom, as she was very talented academically. Gryffindor lost a loved member of their house and she will be missed. Please join me in a moment of silence in honor of Josian Malfoy."   
  
To Reagan's amazed, the entire hall bowed their heads, even the Slytherins. Reagan starred at her empty plate blinking back tears. Memories flooded through her head and Reagan ahd a hard time controlling her breathing. Her vision blurred and tears dropped onto the porcelain. Reagan looked up and caught Trevor's eye, and he smiled at her. She sighed, and managed to return a weak smile, as tears were slowly falling from her eyes. She glanced at Cal sitting beside her, and noticed how his breathing was irritate and uncontrolled, and tears were falling rapidly onto his plate. She put her arm around him and he leaned onto her, and they cried together in silence.   
  
_ Reagan squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push the memory away. And then another crept into her head. This one was her own voice, speaking at Josie's funeral.   
  
_ "Josie and I became friends during our first year at Hogwarts, right after the Sorting Ceremony. It would be a lie to say I befriended her or she befriended me, because in a way we were exactly what the other needed. We were both scared at being away from home really for the first time, though Josie probably felt farther away from home than I did. And I say this not because the house she grew up in was farther away than mine, quite the contrary actually, but the home that Josie knew was just a table away from us during that Sorting feast, though it could have been on the other side of the world for as far as away as she felt from it. It was a bit odd at first, but Josie and I got used to being at Hogwarts and I got used to the fact that she was a Malfoy and she got used to the fact that she was in Gryffindor."   
  
_ "Reagan?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Yes, Mum?" Reagan replied looking at her mother. Ginny stood in the doorway, watching her daughter.   
  
"The morning post came," her mother said and handed her three envelopes.   
  
"Thanks," Reagan said taking her mail from her mother. Ginny smiled and walked out of the kitchen.   
  
Reagan glanced at the handwriting to see who each letter was from. One from Cal, one from Trevor, and one from school. Cal said he was enjoying France, and was learning some wonderful French history. Trevor's letter made her smile. He said hoped she was doing better and that he wanted her to meet him in Diagon Alley for lunch and shopping sometime. She missed both Cal and Trevor, and felt bad that was withdrawing herself from both of them.   
  
The third was from Hogwarts and was heavier than she had remembered and she opened it curiously.   
  
_ Dear Miss Potter,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a Gryffindor Prefect. Includes you will find a list of your duties and also your Prefect's badge.  
  
Congratulations, Miss Potter, I expect you to uphold the values and ideals of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as you perform your duties with the honor befitting a Gryffindor. Sincerely Yours,  
  
Professor Remus Lupin  
  
Deputy Headmaster  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_  
  
"Reagan?" Harry asked. Reagan looked up at him.   
  
"I got made a Prefect," Reagan said. _Like Trevor said I would._   
  
"He's a fairly smart kid," her father said, looking back at his paper. "How is he?"   
  
"Fine," Reagan said. "He wants me to come to lunch with him."   
  
"That sounds nice," Harry said. "And Cal?"   
  
"He's in France for the summer," Reagan replied.   
  
"We should take a trip," Harry said, putting his paper down. "Its been a couple years since we went to America, and it could be a nice change of pace. What do you think?"   
  
"I think I need to be home for a while," Reagan replied. "I need something stable to stand on right now, Dad."   
  
Harry nodded and Reagan stood up.   
  
"I'm going to go write them both," she said and carried her letters and new Prefect badge out of the room with her. As she walked up the stairs, her own voice rang in her head.   
  
_ "Josie was like any other fourteen year old girl. She had crushes, and she doodled on her History of Magic notes. She liked to play Quidditch and she loved to laugh. She hated doing homework, but she also worked hard to make her father proud."   
  
_ Reagan remembered looking at Josie's father as she said this. He was sitting in the front row, a bit unemotional and withdrawn from everything, but as she said those words he bowed his head, and began to cry. And for the first time Reagan felt sorry for Josie's father, not because his daughter had died, but because he didn't know his daughter, and watching him realize this and realize that he would never know her was the saddest thing Reagan had ever seen.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"She's smarter than me, you know," Harry said to Ginny as she walked into the room.   
  
"She's a girl," Ginny replied. "It shouldn't come as a shock."   
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "How do you think she's doing?"   
  
"Not good," Ginny replied. "But better. She'll be all right eventually."   
  
"I hope so," Harry sighed.   
  
"I know so," Ginny said, wrapping her arms around her husband. "You got through everything and you're all right."   
  
"True," Harry said, and kissed her arm. "I just worry about her is all."   
  
"Welcome to parenthood, Mr. Potter!" Ginny laughed. "Don't worry so much about her. She's strong, she'll get through. And she has plenty of people to catch her if she should fall."   
  
"I bet Trevor would love to catch her too," Harry grumbled and looked back at his paper.   
  
Ginny laughed. "Harry Potter, you are over Trevor Daniels. You like him now, remember?"   
  
"Yes, I do like the boy, but no one will ever be good enough for my daughter."   
  
"You'd be surprised," Ginny said. "My father once said that no one would ever be good enough for his daughter either. And look where that got us."   
  
"Yes your father said that," Harry admitted. "Then I went and saved the world and he changed his mind."   
  
"I doubt that changed his mind, and you didn't save the world alone."   
  
"I know I know," Harry said. "I didn't actually save the world either."   
  
"We are not having this conversation right now," Ginny laughed. "You like Trevor and thats all that matters."   
  
"Fair enough," Harry replied and went back to his paper.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
The next time Reagan saw either Trevor or Cal was on Platform 9 & 3/4, on September 1st. Pinned on the front of her robes was her shiny new Prefect badge. The other fifth year Prefect from Gryffindor was her cousin, Ethan, and he passed her on the platform walking like he was superior to everyone around him. Cal caught he eye and laughed and Cal was the first to board the train.   
  
"How are you?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Depends on the day," she said and out her arms around him. "Most days I'm okay, others I'm not." She smiled up at him. "But I'll be okay."   
_ Author Note: Lordy lordy lordy, we're done. I moved some things around so it cut about a chapter of this fic. Don't worry, you're not missing anything, it just got moved to the beginning of the third fic, which annoyingly I don't have a name for. The names are always the hardest. And I don't know when you all will be seeing it, as I don't know when I can come up with a name for it. But as soon as I do   
  
I hope you all enjoyed Dreams, please write me a review and let me know. Its been quite a ride and a bit emotional at times.   
  
A big thanks to all my reviewers:  
Samantha Sherwood, takari4ever7, drunkenfairy, dancingirl, Lourdes, cancan227, fredngeorgegirl, Splunge, dc113, EricaSmiles, gpbpandoc4, Kouryou, Sanomi, coolone007, Angel of the Flames, K. H. T, F75, alueua, Black Rein, LilyGinnyBlack, Sailor Sol, mercurygirl, Erik3, Shadow of a Cat, Hermie13,Lavendar Brown, SNdReAmer, Naomi, SilverWolf, Melee, Maxennce, and Talia.   
  
Check back for the uploading of Fic Three, which at press date is still untitled.   
  
Again, thank you so much and please review!!!   
_


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